Mi Board of State Canvassers Approved Ballot Language for Three Initiatives

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers has given the green light to ballot language for three initiatives, one to allow voting by mail, another to mandate earned paid sick time, and one to hike the state’s corporate income tax to help fund the roads.

Tom Lutz of Citizens for Fair Taxes says their initiative seeks to increase the corporate income tax from 6 percent to 11 percent and earmark that new revenue for roads.

Another initiative would mandate employees get one hour paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Danielle Atkinson of Time to Care says requiring paid sick time will mean workers will no longer have to choose between going to work and staying home to care for sick loved ones.

The canvassers also approved language for an effort to move the state to a vote by mail system.

Jackie Pierce of Let’s Vote Michigan, says voting by mail has been successful in boosting voter turnout in Colorado, Oregon and Washington, and says it will work here too.

All the groups must now collect enough valid petition signatures to make the November 2016 ballot.