PROPOSAL 22-1 - TERM LIMITS FOR STATE LEGISLATORS AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS OF STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS
Proposal 22-1 would amend the state constitution to change its term limit provisions for state legislators. Currently, a person cannot be elected more than three times as a state representative and more than two times as a state senator. The proposal would instead provide that a person cannot be elected as a state legislator for terms or partial terms totaling more than 12 years, regardless of whether that time is served in the House or in the Senate.
This Proposal also contains language which initiates strict financial reporting requirements. This is something that has been absent from Michigan politics and is the reason why our State is ranked 47th in the nation by the Coalition for Integrity.
This does not address the legislative staffers and administrators who have career jobs regardless of who is in office. These gatekeepers control access to legislators and can have undue influence due to their time in Lansing.
PROPOSAL 22-2 - “PROMOTE THE VOTE” PETITION
This Proposal is worded as follows:
“A proposal to amend the state constitution to add provisions regarding elections.
This proposed constitutional amendment would:
• Recognize a fundamental right to vote without harassing conduct;
• Require military or overseas ballots to be counted if postmarked by election day;
• Provide voter right to verify identity with photo ID or signed statement;
• Provide voter the right to a single application to vote absentee in all elections;
• Require state-funded absentee-ballot drop boxes, and postage for absentee applications and ballots;
• Provide that only election officials may conduct post-election audits;
• Require nine days of early in-person voting;
• Allow donations to fund elections, which must be disclosed;
• Require canvass boards to certify election results based only on the official records of votes cast.”
Some of the language in this proposal is ambiguous, such as “…without harassing conduct.” A question people may have is, who determines what constitutes harassing conduct?
The statement that “only election officials may conduct post-election audits” leaves room for questions.
PROPOSAL 22-3 - RIGHT TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM INITIATIVE
(2022)
Nicole Wells Stallworth, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, is trying to paint Proposal 3 as a moderate and restrained approach to the abortion question.
"It's a common-sense, middle-of-the-road proposal," she said. "If we don't have this proposal, we don't really have assurances that people have a right to abortion."
“This proposed constitutional amendment would:
• Establish new individual rights to reproductive freedom, including the right to make and carry out all decisions about pregnancy, such as prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion, miscarriage management, and infertility;
• Allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, but not prohibit it if it is medically needed to protect a patient’s life or physical or mental health;
• Forbid state discrimination in the enforcement of this right; prohibit prosecution of an individual, or a person helping a pregnant individual, for exercising rights established by this amendment;
• Invalidate state laws conflicting with this amendment.”
As you can see, there is no age or parental status attached to the word “individual” nor is there specificity about who makes the determination if abortion is “medically needed.”
There is also a sweeping invalidation of state laws that may be in conflict “with this amendment” without stating what those specific laws are and what those conflicts might be.
–––––––––––––––––
This research is offered as an informative resource in response to questions that some have voiced about the legislation being voted upon in Michigan.
Every voter is encouraged to carefully read each proposal and vote as they see fit. It's your right and your responsibility.
