Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce hosted education, environmental, labor and real estate leaders forming a bipartisan coalition called Protect MI Constitution from Special Interests.
“So many different people from groups who would normally not agree on anything, they all agree on this. We should vote no on the Constitutional Convention.”
John Selleck is spokesperson for Protect MI Constitution. He explains a multitude of concerns including current rights being reduced or removed and new ones that don’t currently exist could be inserted. It’s the process of seating delegates and outside influence that’s concerning.
“There are no rules around this. It is literally the Wild, Wild West.”
Kelli Saunders is with the Small Business Association of Michigan representing 33,000 members across the state. She says a Constitutional Convention creates a “shadow government.”
“This body that would be elected, delegate wise, gets to set their own rules. So, there’s no campaign finance requirements on who can give money to these people that make decisions on how our constitution would be shaped, and that provides a lot of uncertainty for business owners and as they make plans on how to grow their business.”
Saunders says upended rules and regulations in a constitutional rewrite can lead to small businesses pulling back and out-of-state businesses looking elsewhere for expansion.
Protect MI Constitution estimates a Con-Con could cost taxpayers $80 million dollars