Provided by the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM)
Well the August Primaries are over and the candidates for the General election are now set. If the primary election shows us anything, it is that this year is shaping up to be a very competitive mid-term election here in Michigan.
One of the many takeaways from the primaries is that voters are paying attention and are showing up to the polls. While the Democratic turnout was higher, the Republican turnout was also strong. Michigan’s residents and Small Business Owners will be faced with critical decisions on a multitude of levels: Governor, U.S. Senate, Attorney General, and Secretary of State, Michigan Supreme Court, U.S. House of Representatives, Michigan State Senate and Michigan House of Representatives. For those who are interested, SBAM does make endorsements in a number of these races and can check out our link (www.sbam.org/advocacy).
The reality though is that some of the most critical issues will not be candidates, but ballot issues we will need to consider. As of mid-August, only one proposal has been officially placed on the November ballot: the proposal that would legalize recreational marijuana. Four other proposals were still fighting to be placed on the ballot: Voters Not Politicians (changes the redistricting process), Promote the Vote (changes rules on voter registration), MI Time to Care (mandatory paid sick leave), and One Fair Wage (minimum wage to $12/hour and elimination of the tipped wage). Promote the Vote, One Fair Wage, and Voters Not Politicians are currently waiting on a decision from the Board of Canvassers whether they legally qualify to be placed on the ballot. Prior to the Board’s decision on One Fair Wage, the courts need to decide whether the legal opposition to the proposal that was filed with Michigan’s Court of Appeals is valid or not. If the Board approves One Fair Wage, it will join MI Time to Care in front of the legislature for 40 days where the state legislature will have the ability to adopt the proposals. If the legislature does not adopt a proposal in the 40-day window, it would be placed on the ballot in November.
With the Governor’s race and up to five separate proposals placed on the ballot, this November will be a critical election for businesses across our state. If you would like more information, or want to keep up on these issues, please refer to the advocacy section of our website at www.sbam.org/advocacy.
