The Michigan Supreme Court heard oral
arguments Thursday on the four ballot proposals and is expected to rule by
September 7th when the Board of State Canvassers will be certifying
the ballot for clerks.
The proposals weighing in the balance are to
authorize eight new casinos throughout the state, guarantee collective
bargaining rights, require a public vote for any new international bridges, and
require a two-thirds vote of both legislative chambers for any tax increase.
The question before the Court is if the
proposals informed voters of all the portions of law they propose to amend. The
Court’s ultimate decision is being viewed as a guideline for how detailed the ballot
proposal language must be in the future.
At the heart of Thursday’s debate was the
definition of the word “abrogated,” and Justices spent much of the hearing in
back-and-forth exchanges with attorneys as they discussed different definitions
and the application of those definitions on the specific proposals.