Entity Election Spending Prohibition — Constitutional Amendment (Art. IV § 55)

Current understanding

A House Joint Resolution (HJRZ) proposes amending the Michigan Constitution by adding Section 55 to Article IV to revoke the power of entities — including business corporations, LLCs, and nonprofits — to spend money in candidate elections or on ballot issues. It parallels the statutory HB 6216/6217/6218 package but operates at the constitutional level, which if adopted by voters would place the prohibition beyond ordinary legislative repeal. Status: introduced.

Evidence log

• 2026-06-30 — Legislature: other; certain transparency requirements and penalties for failure to present school aid appropriation bills by July 1; provide for. Amends secs. 12, 26 & 31, art. IV & sec. 11, art. IX & adds sec. 55 to art. IV of the state constitution.: Section-number collision noted: a separate joint resolution on school aid appropriation transparency and July 1 deadline penalties also proposes adding a new sec. 55 to Art. IV (alongside amendments to Art. IV secs. 12, 26, 31 and Art. IX sec. 11), meaning two pending resolutions in the 103rd Legislature claim the same constitutional section number. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-07-02 — Businesses: other; power of entities to spend in elections or ballot issues; revoke. Amends the state constitution by adding sec. 55 to art. IV.: HJRZ introduced to add Art. IV § 55 revoking the power of businesses and other entities to spend in candidate elections or ballot-issue campaigns; status: introduced. (novelty: 4)
• 2026-07-03 — Businesses: other; power of entities to spend in elections or ballot issues; revoke. Amends the state constitution by adding sec. 55 to art. IV.: cross-connection with business-corporation-campaign-spending: The HJRZ constitutional amendment and HB 6218 statutory amendment target the same conduct (business corporation election/ballot-issue spending) via different legal instruments. (novelty: 3)

Open questions

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