A ballot initiative that would ban Consumers Energy and other major corporations from spending money on Michigan state politics advanced to the next stage Wednesday after organizers submitted more than 562,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State's office.

The measure, led by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, directly affects Holland and Ottawa County residents. Consumers Energy, the monopoly utility that serves western Michigan, would be prohibited from making political contributions under the proposed amendment to state campaign finance law.

What the Initiative Would Change

If approved by voters in November, the initiative would amend state law to prohibit contributions from:

  • Regulated monopoly utilities, including DTE Energy and Consumers Energy
  • Companies with state government contracts worth more than $250,000, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
  • Entities and people connected to those utilities and large government contractors

The measure would also expand dark money disclosure rules. Under current law, only groups that run ads expressly telling people how to vote must report their donors. The initiative would require disclosure for ads that clearly identify candidates, even if they avoid words like "vote for" or "elect."

"Voters in Michigan will get to vote this November to ban the corrupt campaign donations flowing from regulated utilities, like DTE and Consumers, and corporations with contracts with the state of Michigan, like Blue Cross Blue Shield," said Christy McGillivray, co-chairwoman of the steering committee for Michiganders for Money Out of Politics. "These are the same companies who are not checked when they raise our utility bills, when they raise our health care premiums, because they are the ones funding the politicians who are supposed to be representing us."

The Signature Threshold

Michiganders for Money Out of Politics needed 356,958 valid signatures to advance the initiative, equal to 8 percent of the votes cast for governor in 2022. The group submitted more than 562,000 signatures, giving it a cushion for any that the Secretary of State's office might rule invalid.

If the state validates enough signatures, the initiative goes to the Legislature. Lawmakers can accept the proposal as written, reject it, or offer an alternative measure. If the Legislature rejects it, the original proposal goes directly to the November ballot.

"Anything less, like cynically passing this initiative in an attempt to ultimately undermine it, is nothing less than a slap in the face to the voters who will be deciding all of your fates in November," said Sean McBrearty, co-chairman of the steering committee.

Industry Pushback

The petition submission coincided with the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island, where many of Michigan's political and business leaders gathered.

Garrick Rochow, CEO of Consumers Energy, criticized the ballot campaign at the conference. He called the initiative an effort to "disarm" Michigan companies from "participating in the process."

Rochow also questioned the campaign's out-of-state funding.

"Why are California billionaires footing the bill? Because they want to influence elections," Rochow told The Detroit News.

Where the Money Comes From

Michiganders for Money Out of Politics has reported raising about $2.6 million. According to the group's website, the largest contributions came from:

  • $900,000 from the Massachusetts-based progressive nonprofit All Hands on Deck Network
  • $645,000 from the California-based Tides Foundation, which finances thousands of social justice causes

McBrearty defended the funding sources Wednesday.

"Frankly, we'll take money from the devil himself to get DTE to stop raising our rates and then spending the money to buy the politicians, so they can keep raising our rates," McBrearty said.

The Stakes for Holland Voters

The initiative targets companies whose political spending has grown significantly in recent years. According to campaign finance records:

  • Detroit-based DTE's Michigan PAC spent $264,900 in 2024
  • A nonprofit organization connected to DTE that handed out contributions to groups tied to officeholders spent $3.5 million in 2024

Consumers Energy serves all of Ottawa County, including Holland, Zeeland, and Grand Haven. Residents in those communities would see their utility barred from political contributions if the measure passes.

Dozens of supporters gathered outside the Secretary of State's downtown Lansing office Wednesday to celebrate the petition filing. Some held mops, referring to the group's acronym, MMOP. Others carried signs reading "our democracy is not for sale."

The Secretary of State's office has not announced a timeline for validating the signatures. If enough are deemed valid, the initiative could appear on the November ballot alongside the midterm elections.