Michigan Legislative Accountability Amendment
Executive Summary for Public Readers (v1.0 – State Version)
Michigan has a gridlock problem. Thousands of bills are introduced every session, but many never even get a vote. They die in committee without debate, without accountability, and without the people’s voices being heard.
This amendment creates four independent “triggers” that compel the Legislature to bring a bill to the floor for a yes/no vote — while preserving lawmakers’ freedom to debate, amend, or vote no. It doesn’t force passage; it forces accountability.
The Four Triggers
Citizens can gather signatures to demand a vote.
Threshold: ~175,646 signatures (4% of the turnout in the last Governor’s race).
Timeline: Signatures must be collected within 270 days.
Verification: Secretary of State must certify within 30 legislative days (with up to 5 extra days if needed).
Safeguards:
Petitions only apply to bills with real text (no “shell” bills).
The version certified is locked in — lawmakers can’t swap in a bait-and-switch.
Any disputes are handled quickly in court, with caps on challenges to prevent abuse.
Cities and villages can pass resolutions demanding a vote.
Threshold: 1/3 of all eligible local entities — about 845 statewide.