Summary — House Resolution (HR 89): Affirming Michigan voters’ constitutional initiative power (Introduced 2025)
Status & sponsors
- Classification: House Resolution (non‑binding).
- Introduced by: Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou (with a broad group of Michigan House cosponsors listed in the text, including Reps. Wooden, Herzberg, Glanville, Liberati, Morgan, Byrnes, Pohutsky, and many others).
- Status (provided): Referred to the Committee on Government Operations (metadata date: 2025-05-06; user-provided introduction date: August 27, 2025).
- Related measure: HCR 93 (companion).
Purpose / intent
- To formally affirm that Michigan voters have a constitutional right under Article XII, Section 2 of the Michigan Constitution to propose and adopt constitutional amendments by citizen petition.
- To defend and recognize that this initiative power may be used to adopt measures that affect federal elections — specifically citing Proposal 3 (2018) and Proposal 2 (2022) as examples.
- To express opposition to efforts (litigation and executive action) that seek to invalidate or limit the people’s initiative power with respect to federal elections.
Key provisions (what the resolution does)
- Reaffirms the state constitutional provision allowing voter‑initiated constitutional amendments and the voters’ power to approve them by majority vote.
- Cites and summarizes rights enacted by Proposal 3 (2018) and Proposal 2 (2022), including:
- automatic voter registration through Secretary of State transactions;
- same‑day (in‑person) registration with proof of residency;
- no‑reason absentee voting and permanent absentee list;
- early in‑person voting;
- identity verification options (photo ID or affidavit);
- counting of military/overseas absentee ballots postmarked on/before election day if received within six days.
- Condemns or objects to specific threats cited in the text:
- Litigation (Lindsey v. Whitmer) and related petitions (petition for certiorari filed March 20, 2025) seeking to bar the use of the initiative process to regulate federal elections;
- A March 25, 2025 presidential executive order (referenced in the resolution) that would seek to change federal voter‑registration and ballot‑receipt practices and to condition funding on compliance.
- Identifies other legislative threats (e.g., a state House joint resolution and the federal SAVE Act) that would impose documentary proof of citizenship and photo ID requirements for registration/voting.
Who would be affected
- Michigan registered and prospective voters (rights affirmed relate directly to registration, absentee voting, early voting, and ID procedures).
- State and local election administrators (policy and funding positions could be implicated by federal directives or legal rulings).
- State courts and litigants (resolution responds to ongoing court challenges).
- Federal–state relations concerning election regulation (declares state concern about federal or judicial limits on the initiative process).
Practical effect & timeline
- HR 89 is a declaratory resolution: symbolic and non‑binding (it does not change statutes or constitutional language).
- Intended to record the Michigan House’s position and to signal support for defending voter‑approved constitutional amendments in court and in public policy debates.
- Procedural status: referred to the Michigan House Committee on Government Operations (per provided metadata); any further action would follow standard committee and floor procedures.
Notes
- The resolution frames its action as a defense of direct democracy and voter‑adopted election reforms; its legal effect is advisory and political rather than statutory.
