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SB 264

Higher Education Certification Amendments

2025 General Session Introduced by Melissa Ballard and 1 co-sponsor

Lowering petition signatures for countywide Sunday alcohol sales referenda from 8% to 5% of votes cast makes it easier for voters to trigger local Sunday-sales referenda.

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Bill Summary · SB 264

SB 264 — Liquor: Sunday sales hours; county referendum/petition rules (amends MCL 436.2113)

Status: Referred to Committee on Regulatory Affairs
Introduced: (as provided) November 12, 2024
Subject: Liquor — hours for sale; county-level repeal/prohibition process

Purpose / intent

SB 264 modifies local procedures by which counties may prohibit or permit the sale of spirits and mixed spirit drink during specified Sunday hours. The bill lowers the signature threshold for petitions that force a countywide referendum on Sunday alcohol‑sales prohibitions and clarifies the process and timing for submitting the question to county electors.

Key provisions

  • Lowers petition signature requirement:
    • Changes the required number of registered and qualified electors needed to file a petition from 8% to 5% of the total votes cast for Secretary of State in the county at the most recent general election. (Applies where petitions are used to require a referendum regarding Sunday sales.)
  • Retains and clarifies existing referendum options and timing:
    • Counties may by resolution (or by petition-triggered referendum) prohibit or permit sale of spirits and mixed spirit drink for consumption on the premises:
    • between 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on Sunday; and/or
    • between 7:00 a.m. on Sunday and 2:00 a.m. on Monday.
    • The county legislative body may direct the county clerk to submit the question at the next regular state election; the question may not be submitted more than once every four years.
    • Petitions must be filed at least 60 days before the election to require that the question be placed on the ballot at that election.
    • Ballot language for the prohibition/permission questions is standardized in substantially the forms shown in the statute.
  • Clarifies on‑premises sales exception:
    • Establishments where over 50% of gross receipts are from food and other non‑alcohol goods/services may sell spirits after 7:00 a.m. on Sunday unless the county has prohibited such sales by resolution or referendum.
  • Applies the same petition/ballot mechanics to off‑premises retail sales (e.g., stores selling spirits for off‑premises consumption in addition to beer and wine).

Who is affected

  • County governments and county clerks: additional/altered administrative duties related to petition validation, scheduling referenda, and ballot processing.
  • Registered voters: a lower petition threshold makes it easier for local voters to place questions about Sunday alcohol sales on the ballot.
  • Retail licensees (on‑premises: restaurants/bars; off‑premises: liquor retailers): potential changes in allowable Sunday hours depending on local referendum outcomes; restaurants that sell mostly food may continue earlier Sunday sales unless county voters prohibit them.
  • Liquor license applicants and enforcement/administrative bodies under the Michigan Liquor Control Code.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The statute limits submission of the countywide question to once every four years.
  • To force a referendum at the next regular state election, petitions must be filed at least 60 days before that election.
  • The county legislative body may itself adopt a resolution to place the question on the ballot.
  • The bill’s change from 8% to 5% reduces the number of signatures required to trigger a referendum, which may increase the frequency of petitions and local ballot questions, subject to the once‑every‑four‑years limit.

Likely impacts

  • Administrative: modest changes for county clerks and clerical workload related to verifying petitions and placing questions on ballots.
  • Regulatory/business: could increase local variation in permitted Sunday sale hours if more countywide referenda are placed before voters (because of the lower petition threshold).
  • Fiscal: no direct state revenue changes are specified; local election costs could increase if additional referenda are held.

If you want, I can:
- Pull the exact statutory subsection language proposed for direct citation, or
- Draft a one‑page explainer for county clerks on how the new petition thresholds and timelines would operate in practice.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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