LANSING, Mich. — There are three proposals that will appear on Michigan ballots this November election. Proposal 1 focuses on term limits that could amend the Michigan State Constitution and require financial disclosures of top elected officials.
Proposal 1 is separated into two main parts: The first requires top state officials to disclose some financial information after 2023, things like income sources and assets of state lawmakers, the governor, the secretary of state, and the attorney general. The second deals with term limits for state legislators, replacing the current limits of six years in the House and eight years in the Senate from a 14-year total, to a 12-year total in any combination of service in the House or Senate.
Former Michigan Chamber of Commerce CEO Rich Studley helped draft the proposal and is co-chair of the group pushing for Prop 1 to pass, Voters for Transparency and Term Limits.
"I think it's a great example of citizens making sure that state government works for us rather than the politicians," he said
But for Patrick Anderson, who helped pass the current term limits back in 1992, the proposal is deceiving.
"The legislature is trying to extend their own time in office by repealing the existing term limits, but kind of mixing it in...hiding it behind a proposal to at some future year to adopt a disclosure law," Anderson said.
Lawmakers voted and greenlit the proposal in May. The ballot language was written by the state Elections Director and was approved by the Michigan State Board of Canvassers in August.
As for the financial disclosure portion of the proposal, Studley says it's unacceptable that Michigan and Idaho are the only two states that do not require elected officials to disclose their personal financial information.
Anderson says he's been pushing for disclosure laws as well, but the language of this specific proposal is too vague. For example, the wording in Prop 1 says elected officials would have to provide "income sources", not an actual dollar amount.
"I think some of them might be writing things like I work hard for the citizens, that's the source of my income," Anderson argues.
On your ballot, a 'yes' vote would apply a flat 12-year term limit to lawmakers in state office and require some financial disclosures of top officials. A 'no' vote retains the status quo on the term limits that Michigan has had in place for 30 years and not require financial disclosure of top elected officials for now.
Election Day is November 8.
