1. First is a referendum on the expanded emergency manager law passed by the legislature last year. The law allows emergency managers in distressed municipalities to rewrite union contracts; opposition comes mainly from public sector unions. A yes vote is needed to retain the law. Supporters chose not to preclear their petitions, and the proposition was not approved by the state Board of Canvassers due to a font size error. The issue is currently in the courts.
Unions are behind an effort to amend the state constitution to enshrine mandatory collective bargaining, precluding a Right to Work law. It would also repeal a number of other laws that the unions don't like, including the emergency manager law. The proposition is being challenged on the grounds that it is so broad that it constitutes a rewrite of the state constitution. That is the same argument that stopped the Reform Michigan Government Now (RMGN) amendment in 2008.
The SEIU is behind this proposition to enshrine the Michigan Quality Care Council, the dummy employer used to force the unionization of home health care workers, in the state constitution. This scam originated in the Granholm administration, which agreed to treat people who receive government payments to care for family members at home as government employees. They were unionized in a very dubious election. Even after the state legislature defunded the dummy employer and passed a law prohibiting the dues collection, it has continued. The SEIU is now running the dummy employer it supposedly negotiates with.
Various out-of-state alternative energy companies are behind an initiative to mandate that Michigan get at least 25% of its energy from alternative sources by 2025. Since alternative energy costs more than traditional energy (that's why it's the alternative), this would raise energy prices.
A group of developers is supporting a proposition to add eight more casinos across Michigan. Voter approval is required due to a previous constitutional amendment passed by the voters in 2004. The proposition is likely to be opposed by the usual Baptist/bootlegger coalition. Conservatives and libertarians will likely disagree on this proposition; as a conservative, gambling seems to me to be a way to cheat mathematically illiterate people out of their money.
The Detroit International Bridge Company, owned by Matty Moroun, is funding a proposition to require voter approval for any new bridge to Canada. This would create a roadblock to the Canadian-goverment funded bridge agreement recently signed by Governor Snyder. Parties disagree whether the proposal would actually stop the bridge.
A proposal to require a 2/3 majority in the legislature or statewide vote to raise taxes is also being funded by Moroun. This proposal has support from Tea Party groups.
A business group close to the Chamber of Commerce is organizing to oppose all the proposals.
