The Filing
A ballot initiative that would ban DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan from making political contributions submitted more than 562,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State’s office on Wednesday.
The proposal, led by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, easily exceeded the 356,958 valid signatures required to qualify for the November 2026 ballot. That threshold represents eight percent of the votes cast for governor in 2022.
“This systemic corruption that we’re fighting is a bipartisan problem that today we meet with a nonpartisan solution, and the signatures that we turn in today represent the will of 562,068 Michigan voters,” said Sean McBrearty, co-chair of Michiganders for Money Out of Politics.
The filing landed in Lansing just as state leaders gathered on Mackinac Island for the annual Mackinac Policy Conference. Organizers used the timing to contrast the public petition drive with what they called an exclusive retreat for lawmakers and corporate lobbyists.
What the Proposal Would Change
If voters approve the measure in November, it would amend state campaign finance law with two main provisions:
- Ban contributions from monopoly utilities and companies holding state government contracts worth more than $250,000.
- Expand dark money disclosure requirements to include ads that clearly identify candidates, not just those that expressly urge a vote.
The initiative specifically targets regulated utilities and major government contractors. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan was named repeatedly by organizers as a primary target due to its role as a large state contractor and campaign donor.
“80% of our Legislature took money from utility companies, and that means they have way too much influence over what happened in Lansing,” said Elouise Sirleaf, a community organizer with MI United, a member of the initiative’s steering committee.
The Opposition and the Funding
The campaign has faced criticism for accepting donations from out-of-state organizations that do not disclose their donors. Those groups include the Working Families Organization of New York, the All Hands on Deck Network of Massachusetts, and the Green Advocacy Project of Washington, D.C.
Leaders of the initiative defended the funding strategy. They raised approximately $2.2 million in 2026 for the campaign.
“We are playing by the rules of the system that is set up right now meticulously, while we work to change it, and 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 told reporters.
Christy McGillivray, co-chair of the initiative and executive director of Voters Not Politicians, described the campaign finances as a “bare-bones campaign” but emphasized the volunteer strength behind the signature drive.
Why It Matters for Pontiac
Pontiac residents are direct customers of DTE Energy and many rely on Blue Cross Blue Shield for health insurance coverage. The proposal argues that these companies exert disproportionate influence over state lawmakers who regulate their rates and contracts.
“Let’s put an end to the billionaire health insurance companies controlling what laws our state legislators do and do not pass, and give voice back to patients and everyday Michiganders,” said Dr. Aisha Harris, a Flint-based physician and member of the Committee to Protect Health Care, another part of the steering committee.
The Michigan Secretary of State’s office will now verify the validity of the submitted signatures. If enough pass verification, the question will appear on the November ballot alongside other statewide races.
“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,” McGillivray said.