INITIATIVE PETITIONS S.B. 1086: COMMITTEE SUMMARY


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Senate Bill 1086 (as introduced 2-12-08)
Sponsor: Senator Gilda Z. Jacobs
Committee: Campaign and Election Oversight


Date Completed: 2-13-08

CONTENT The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to do the following:

-- Change the deadline for filing initiative petitions with the Secretary of State from 160 days before the election to the preceding March 15.
-- Increase from 180 to 210 the number of days that a signature may be on a petition before it is void.

Currently, initiative petitions under Article II, Section 9 of the State Constitution must be filed with the Secretary of State at least 160 days before the election at which the proposed law is to be voted upon. The bill would require initiative petitions to be filed with the Secretary of State by 4 p.m. on March 15 before the election at which the proposed law would be voted upon.

(Under Article II, Section 9 of the State Constitution, the people reserve to themselves the power to propose laws and to enact and reject laws, called the initiative, and the power to approve or reject laws enacted by the Legislature, called the referendum. For the initiative or referendum to be invoked, petitions must be signed by a number of registered electors equaling a minimum percentage of the total vote cast for all candidates for Governor at the last preceding general election at which a Governor was elected.)


Under the Election Law, a signature on a petition that proposes an amendment to the Constitution or is to initiate legislation is void if the signature was made more than 180 days before the petition was filed with the Secretary of State. Under the bill, the amount of time would be extended to 210 days.


MCL 168.471 & 168.472a Legislative Analyst: Craig Laurie FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco

Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb1086/0708