Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Petitions to legalize recreational marijuana and repeal the state's prevailing wage law could be coming this summer to a street corner near you.
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers, scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon, is expected to consider two separate petitions from groups calling themselves the Michigan Cannabis Coalition and Protecting Michigan Taxpayers.
If the petitions are approved in form - an optional step to ensure their validity won't be challenged at a later point - organizers can begin circulating them at any time.
Once they start, they'll have 180 days to collect 252,523 signatures to advance the citizen-initiated legislation to Lansing or the 2016 ballot.
The Michigan Cannabis Coalition, which has been described as "a loosely formed group of business and political folks," wants to legalize and tax recreational marijuana, devoting any proceeds to education, public safety and public health.
It's one of three marijuana legalization groups eyeing the 2016 ballot, and its proposal is unique in that it would give state lawmakers a prominent role in the legalization process.
The Legislature would have authority to set the tax rate and require licensing of marijuana facilities, in which case it would also have to establish a Michigan Cannabis Control Board to administer and enforce the law.
Separately, Protecting Michigan Taxpayers wants to repeal the state's prevailing wage law, which guarantees that workers receive union-scale wages and benefits on state-funded construction projects, such as school buildings.
The goal is not the 2016 ballot; it's repeal in 2015.
Organizers hope to send the repeal measure to Lansing, where the GOP-led Legislature could enact it despite opposition from Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who would be cut out of the process.
PMT was last active in 2012, when it fought several ballot proposals, including a union-backed effort to enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution.
The committee includes ties to the Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan and the Michigan Freedom Fund, a pro-business group out of West Michigan that fought for passage of the state's right-to-work law in 2012.
A separate group hoping to put a proposal on the 2016 ballot - the Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan - had their petition approved as to form by the Board of State Canvassers last month.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Petitions for marijuana legalization, prevailing wage repeal to go before Michigan board | MLive.com
Author: Jonathan Oosting
Contact: joosting@mlive.com
Photo Credit: AP File Photo | Brennan Linsley
Website: Michigan Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - MLive.com
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers, scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon, is expected to consider two separate petitions from groups calling themselves the Michigan Cannabis Coalition and Protecting Michigan Taxpayers.
If the petitions are approved in form - an optional step to ensure their validity won't be challenged at a later point - organizers can begin circulating them at any time.
Once they start, they'll have 180 days to collect 252,523 signatures to advance the citizen-initiated legislation to Lansing or the 2016 ballot.
The Michigan Cannabis Coalition, which has been described as "a loosely formed group of business and political folks," wants to legalize and tax recreational marijuana, devoting any proceeds to education, public safety and public health.
It's one of three marijuana legalization groups eyeing the 2016 ballot, and its proposal is unique in that it would give state lawmakers a prominent role in the legalization process.
The Legislature would have authority to set the tax rate and require licensing of marijuana facilities, in which case it would also have to establish a Michigan Cannabis Control Board to administer and enforce the law.
Separately, Protecting Michigan Taxpayers wants to repeal the state's prevailing wage law, which guarantees that workers receive union-scale wages and benefits on state-funded construction projects, such as school buildings.
The goal is not the 2016 ballot; it's repeal in 2015.
Organizers hope to send the repeal measure to Lansing, where the GOP-led Legislature could enact it despite opposition from Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who would be cut out of the process.
PMT was last active in 2012, when it fought several ballot proposals, including a union-backed effort to enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution.
The committee includes ties to the Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan and the Michigan Freedom Fund, a pro-business group out of West Michigan that fought for passage of the state's right-to-work law in 2012.
A separate group hoping to put a proposal on the 2016 ballot - the Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan - had their petition approved as to form by the Board of State Canvassers last month.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Petitions for marijuana legalization, prevailing wage repeal to go before Michigan board | MLive.com
Author: Jonathan Oosting
Contact: joosting@mlive.com
Photo Credit: AP File Photo | Brennan Linsley
Website: Michigan Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - MLive.com
