Michigan voters will have a chance to decide whether to limit certain campaign finances through a citizen-led initiative, Proposal 2.
Dubbed "Money Out of Politics," the proposal appears on the Nov. 3 ballot, seeking to ban utility companies, contractors with over $250,000 in annual government contracts, and people and organizations with a significant connection to those companies or contractors from making campaign donations to politicians or political party committees.
It would also expand disclosure requirements for donations related to political advertising.
The ballot issue
Michigan Proposal 26-2 reads:
The proposal would:
- Prohibit regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with over $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people and organizations with substantial connections to these utilities/contractors from making direct or indirect campaign contributions to those who run for or hold offices that impact them.
- Expand laws regulating spending on political communications, including those requiring disclosing donor information, to apply to communications clearly identifying candidates or ballot questions, even if they do not expressly advocate voting for/against them.
- Expressly apply the law requiring disclosure of who paid for political communications to internet political communications.
Should this proposal be adopted?
The background
The initiative was led by the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (MMOP) committee. The group, formed in July 2025, submitted a petition in September 2025 to amend the Michigan Campaign Finance Act and then submitted more than 560,000 signatures to the Bureau of Elections in May 2026.
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers certified the votes two months later.
An opposing committee, Protect MI Free Speech, challenged MMOP's signatures before the Board of Canvassers' certification and argued that the proposal stripped businesses of their First Amendment rights.
The challenge went before the Michigan Supreme Court, which allowed the measure to be placed on the ballot in September 2026.
The proposal could have become law with approvals from the state House and Senate. While it received bipartisan support from the House, the Senate did not move forward, allowing the initiative to go before voters. Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks said at the time that they wanted to leave it up to Michiganders.
Views on Proposal 26-2
MMOP has said the proposal targeted companies such as DTE Energy and Consumers Energy and previously criticized both for recent rate hikes approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission. In October, the commission OK'd a $139 million increase for Consumers Energy, which is more than 40% lower than originally requested.
When speaking on the push for the proposal, Christy McGillivray, MMOP executive board co-chair, said, "More than half a million people across the state signed our petition to put Proposal 2 on the ballot, and now the moment for Michiganders to take our government back from powerful corporate interests is here. It's past time we end the corrupt pay-to-play system that dominates our politics and make sure it's our voices that are heard, not the voices of big corporations bankrolling our politicians.
McGillivray added, "The stakes could not be clearer: Will we allow our government to remain up for sale to the highest bidder, or will we finally hold monopoly utilities and powerful corporations accountable and put the people of Michigan back in charge?"
Both DTE Energy and Consumers Energy say they comply with state and federal campaign finance laws, are transparent about their contributions, and engage in political participation because policies enacted by local, state, and federal lawmakers affect them.
"Mop Up Michigan's approach won't eliminate money in politics—it will simply shift influence away from Michigan companies and toward wealthy national donors and special interests, similar to the dark money funders of their ballot proposal," Consumers Energy spokesperson Katie Carey said in a statement last month. "Meanwhile, local employers and their employees risk being sidelined. Meanwhile, out of state shell companies, independent expenditure groups and Super PACs would be granted disproportionate influence – and we've already seen it first hand with MMOP raising $7.4 million (and counting) to finance their ballot bullying."
The utility companies had referred CBS News Detroit to Protect MI Free Speech spokesperson John Sellek for additional comment.
CBS News Detroit reached out to Sellek on Oct. 19, who said, "Voters should oppose Proposal 2 because it uses voter frustration with the cost of living as cover to carry out a much wider sneak attack on the freedom of speech rights of thousands of innocent, everyday Michigan residents who would be banned from supporting the candidates of their choice simply because of who they are related to or contract with. Meanwhile. out-of-state billionaires can continue spending as they please to influence Michigan's public policy making."
Sellek added, "Worse yet, Prop 2 is a betrayal of its own supporters because it claims to get money out of politics but uses millions in dark money from mystery donors outside our state to fund its effort."
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