Michigan › Races › Proposal 26-2
Proposal 26-2 — Money Out of Politics (Campaign Finance)
A proposed initiated law to prohibit campaign contributions from certain regulated utilities and government contractors and apply campaign finance laws and regulations to additional types of political communications
Citizen-initiated law (Michiganders for Money Out of Politics) that amends the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. Certified for the ballot July 24, 2026 with 561,282 signatures; the Michigan Supreme Court rejected a challenge in September 2026. Bans political contributions from regulated utilities (DTE, Consumers Energy) and large state contractors, and extends donor-disclosure rules to issue ads and online political ads.
Official ballot language
The proposal would: (1) Prohibit regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with over $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people and organizations with substantial connections to these utilities/contractors from making direct or indirect campaign contributions to those who run for or hold offices that impact them. (2) Expand laws regulating spending on political communications, including those requiring disclosure of donor information, to apply to communications clearly identifying candidates or ballot questions, even if they do not expressly advocate voting for or against them. (3) Expressly apply the law requiring disclosure of who paid for political communications to internet communications. Should this proposal be adopted?
The conservative case
Mixed. Many conservatives support cutting utility and contractor influence in Lansing, but the expanded disclosure rules reach issue advocacy and nonprofit speech, raising First Amendment and donor-privacy concerns. Opponents include the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.
The progressive case
Reduces corporate and utility influence over state government and brings dark-money issue ads into the open.
Our note: Decide whether limiting utility and contractor money is worth broader disclosure rules that also apply to issue advocacy groups.