State canvassers approve 100‑word summary for ‘Michiganders for Money Out of Politics’ petition after hours of debate over scope and wording

The Michigan State Board of Canvassers voted Friday to approve a 100‑word summary and petition form for an initiated proposal sponsored by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, clearing the language that will appear on the petition circulated for voter signatures.

The board approved the summary after nearly three hours of public comment and attorney argument over how to describe the measure’s effects, including whether the summary should say the proposal “restricts and regulates spending on campaign ads” or more broadly describe new limits on political communications. The board also approved the petition form and a related filing manual for judicial elective offices.

The petition’s director‑drafted summary describes three principal changes the measure would make: (1) expand campaign‑finance regulation to apply to communications that clearly identify candidates or ballot questions even if they do not use express‑advocacy words such as “vote for” or “vote against”; (2) prohibit regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with more than $250,000 in annual government contracts and people or organizations with substantial connections to them from making direct or indirect campaign contributions to candidates or offices that affect those entities; and (3) expressly require…