Board of State Canvassers Meet on Ballot Proposals

Liz Gullett

Jul 27, 2018

On Thursday, the Board of State Canvassers met to hear testimony on two ballot proposals. Both of the proposals have been recommended for certification by the Department of State after a sampling showed they collected the required number of signatures as required by law. The two ballot proposals before the board are:

Michigan One Fair Wage – This proposal seeks to increase the minimum wage to $10/hour on January 1, 2019; $10.65/hour on January 1, 2020; $11.35/hour on January 1, 2021; and $12/hour on January 1, 2022.
MI Time to Care – The petition seeks to create the Earned Sick Time Act, which would provide workers with the right to earn sick time that could be used for a variety of reasons.

Following the testimony, the Board adjourned until Friday at 4:30 p.m. when they will take a vote on certifying the proposals. The Board is not required to follow the recommendation of the Department of State. “If they certify either or both of the proposals, the Legislature has 40 session days to accept or reject the proposal, if they don’t enact the measure it would be placed before Michigan voters on the general election ballot this November,” explained Brendan Ringlever of MLC.

The Board of State Canvassers is comprised of two members from both the Democratic and Republican parties. Members are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Two board members are selected from each of the two political parties that received the greatest number of votes in the last election for Secretary of State. They serve four-year terms.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.