Protect Our Jobs submitted nearly 700,000 signatures to the
Secretary of State in an effort to place language on the ballot designed to
protect collective bargaining rights – more than double the roughly 323,000
valid signatures required to do so. Now, a coalition of business interests has
asked the Secretary of State to deny moving forward on the process.
Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Constitution have asked the
Secretary of State, Ruth Johnson, not to canvass the signatures or otherwise
move the process forward as the ballot initiative represents an illegal general
revision of the State Constitution and statutes. The Coalition claims that the
potential widespread effect of the initiative would certainly take the proposal
summary description well outside the 100-word limit.
An attorney representing the coalition sent the letter and
asked Ms. Johnson to act quickly so the Coalition could determine if a court
case was necessary.