What’s happening: The Michigan Chamber joined a bipartisan group of business, labor, education and community leaders in Flint this week to highlight concerns about opening Michigan’s Constitution to a broad rewrite.
VP of Strategic Initiatives Dan Papineau represented the Michigan Chamber at the roundtable, which also featured former Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee, former Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette and leaders from across the Flint region.
The bottom line: With Proposal 1 headed to Michigan voters Nov. 3, the Michigan Chamber is helping make the business case against calling a constitutional convention – a lengthy, costly process that could create years of uncertainty for employers and Michigan’s economy.
Why business cares: Employers need certainty to make long-term decisions about hiring, expansion and investment. A constitutional convention could create a prolonged period of uncertainty over the fundamental rules governing our state – making it harder for businesses to plan and Michigan to compete for jobs and investment. Flint & Genesee Chamber Executive Director Andrew Younger helped reinforce that point, noting that businesses need stability to plan for the future, invest and create jobs.
There’s another way: Michigan already has a process to make targeted constitutional changes and put them directly before voters – without reopening the entire document.
And a Con-Con wouldn’t come cheap. A preliminary Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency analysis estimates the process could cost nearly $80 million.
The bigger picture: The opposition is notable for its breadth. Business organizations are standing alongside labor, education, community and other groups that may disagree on plenty of issues but share concerns about the risks of a constitutional convention.
What’s next: Proposal 1 will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. The Michigan Chamber will continue helping Michigan employers and voters understand what is at stake and why the coalition is urging a NO vote on a constitutional convention.