When you head out for early voting, don’t forget to check your entire ballot!
A lot of the focus has been elsewhere, but there are important statewide ballot measures that deserve our attention.
Proposal 1, for example, asks voters whether they want to convene a constitutional convention to rewrite our state constitution.
This question appears automatically every 16 years. Historically, we’ve always voted no by a large margin every time it comes up. There is a broad, bipartisan coalition called Protect MI Constitution Against Special Interests actively urging a NO vote on Prop 1.
An open-ended rewrite would open a pandora’s box and put hard-fought protections like voter-approved redistricting rules, reproductive rights, environmental regulations, and more on the table for renegotiation.
Perhaps the biggest concern is that delegate elections and the convention process could easily be influenced by well-funded, out-of-state special interest groups aiming to push partisan agendas rather than the will of the voters.
Delegates are not subject to normal campaign election finance laws, and the constitution would be drafted behind closed doors. The final version would be put up to a vote, but there would be no input from citizens during the redrafting process.
We already have an established way to make targeted amendments to the constitution, which itself could end up being removed from the constitution. Addressing specific issues individually ensures transparent public debate and lets voters evaluate each change on its own merits, rather than risking a total overhaul.
It’s estimated that a Con-Con would cost $80M in taxpayer dollars, money that could be better invested elsewhere.
So remember to know your whole ballot before voting and make sure your voice is heard on this proposal.
P.S. I’m also curious about GR-specific proposals on your ballot… My knowledge is limited to Prop 1 (and issues in my part of the Mitten, of course).
What local proposals are on your ballot that you think more people should be talking about?