A Michigan campaign to stop public utilities and large state government contractors from donating to political causes turned in signatures Wednesday to get on the November ballot.
Supporters of Michiganders for Money out of Politics argue those groups have given money to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to buy political influence and avoid accountability.
Dr. Aisha Harris is with one of the coalition groups behind the measure. She said she has seen the influence-peddling system take a real-life toll.
“When insurance companies and corporate interests can spend enormous amounts of money influencing the political system, what is best for the patients is too often pushed to the sidelines. That creates a system where lawmakers hear more from lobbyists and donors than from physicians, nurses, and people struggling to afford care,” Harris said during a press conference Wednesday.
Aside from limiting political giving, the ballot initiative would also expand policies that require outside groups spending money on Michigan campaigns to reveal their donors.
Sean McBrearty is with the Money out of Politics campaign’s leadership team.
“This is going to require a broader definition of electioneering that includes any mention of the candidate or ballot initiative within 100 days of a general or within 30 days of a primary election. And it’s going to require disclosure of funders to those. So, it will dramatically change the political system that we see across Michigan right now,” McBrearty told reporters and supporters.
Critics of the measure, however, claim it would go too far, especially in the wake of the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United decision that defended corporations’ rights to donate to political causes.
Wendy Block is the senior vice president of business advocacy with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. “This proposal is extremely sweeping. This affects grassroots activities. The ability for everyday citizens to make their voice heard in the legislative process by requiring disclosure on those sorts of things and bringing all of that under the campaign finance act,” she said in an interview.
During the press conference held by petition supporters, many speakers took aim at the state’s biggest utility companies, which they saw as using the system to get rate hikes frequently approved.
In written statements, both Consumers Energy and DTE stressed that their political giving comes from voluntary donations and not from the money they make from customers.
Consumers Energy spokesperson Katie Carey said the campaign wouldn’t actually reach achieve its goal of cleaning up Michigan’s politics.
“It will simply shift influence away from Michigan companies and toward wealthy national donors and special interests. Meanwhile, local employers and their employees risk being sidelined,” part of the statement read.
It went on to criticize the Michiganders for Money out of Politics campaign, known also as Mop Up Michigan, for accepting its own out-of-state money.
“Mop Up Michigan continues to live in a world of hypocrisy criticizing Consumers Energy while accepting out of state dark money from their supporters. We will continue to advocate for our employees who voluntarily contribute to CMS Energy Employees for Better Government, our nonpartisan PAC that has been governed – and powered - by employees since its inception in 1977,” Carey’s statement said.
When asked about the criticism, however, the campaign’s leaders argued they were only playing by the books, using the system as intended.
Christy McGillivray, who leads the group Voters Not Politicians, said Money out of Politics had run an "absolutely bare-bones campaign" that took in and spent far less money than the groups opposing it.
To qualify for the ballot, the campaign needs to turn in at least 356,958 valid signatures. Organizers said they turned in over 562,000 on Wednesday.
But opponents could still challenge them to prevent the measure from going forward. Beyond that, counter-organizing against the campaign is also likely.
McBrearty said the campaign is ready for it.
“The power of organized people can and will overcome the power of organized money,” McBrearty said.
