Advocacy News – March 19, 2026
What’s new: A broad coalition – including the Michigan Chamber, Michigan Education Association, Business Leaders For Michigan, Michigan AFL-CIO, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, and League of Women Voters of Michigan – is urging voters to reject Proposal 1, the November ballot measure to call a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con).
Why it matters:
- Every 16 years, the question of whether to hold a Con-Con automatically appears on the ballot, as required by Michigan’s current constitution (Article XII, Section 3).
- For 2026, the constitutional convention question will be Proposal 1. If voters reject it, the question will return in 2042, 2058 and every 16 years thereafter.
- A Michigan constitutional convention has unlimited authority, meaning delegates could draft an entirely new constitution or propose specific amendments. It could result in years of uncertainty and gridlock.
- A Con-Con is a risky proposition because issues a Con-Con might tackle are unlimited:
- Tax cuts or increases and structural changes (sales tax cap, graduated income tax ban, Headlee tax limits, etc.)
- Labor and employment mandates
- Environmental issues
- Legislative and congressional redistricting
- Elected versus appointed judiciary
- Governance of major universities (U-M, MSU, Wayne State, etc.)
- Term limits or unicameral or part-time legislature
- Appointment of Secretary of State and Attorney General by the Governor
- School funding and equity issues, public school district or local government consolidation or elimination, public aid for nonpublic education
Voices from the coalition:
- Michigan Chamber: “A Constitutional Convention is a long, drawn-out process that risks years of uncertainty and gridlock in Michigan, creating real challenges for job providers who rely on stability and predictability to invest and grow. While there’s room to update our state’s constitution, most issues can be addressed without reopening the entire document – and there’s no guarantee a convention would deliver better outcomes, particularly given out-of-state and special interest influence or sweeping, single-issue agendas that could stall investment and job growth in Michigan.”
- Business Leaders for Michigan: “Opening the constitution risks companies pausing major investments.”
- AFL-CIO: “A Con-Con could be hijacked…just too risky.”
- Michigan League of Conservation Voters: “Political insiders and deep-pocketed interests could take power from the people.”
- League of Women Voters of Michigan: “Voting access could be stripped away…extremists could circumvent the will of voters.”
Go deeper: Visit protectmiconstitution.com for more information about the ‘NO’ campaign.