Ballot Initiative to “Unlock Michigan” on Target for 500K Signatures
The “Unlock Michigan” ballot initiative supported by NFIB is nearing the 500,000 signature goal and an Unlock Michigan spokesperson has issued a last call to volunteers to wrap things up as the campaign could turn in signatures within the next two weeks.
The petition initiative would repeal the outdated 1945 law that Governor Whitmer has been using to endlessly continue the “State of Emergency” and issue executive orders that do not require legislative oversight or approval. The orders have devastated small business in Michigan since they were first extended past the legislature’s initial approval under the 1976 Emergency Management Act back in April. The 1976 Act sets the duration of a state of emergency at 28 days with further extensions requiring legislative approval.
NFIB is the only statewide business organization to fully support the ballot initiative to end Governor Whitmer’s ability to declare an emergency without legislative approval.
The petition initiative needs to obtain at least 340,047 valid signatures to be presented to the legislature for approval. Passage by a simple majority vote of both chambers in the legislature would repeal the law without the governor’s approval. Petition organizers have made it clear that the ultimate goal is to collect 500,000 signatures to be certain that the 340,047 number is more than met after expected challenges by the governor’s opposition groups.
