February 15, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Vander Veen, Gosselin, Taub and Drolet and referred to the Committee on House Oversight, Elections, and Ethics.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending section 477 (MCL 168.477), as amended by 1999 PA 219.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 477. (1) The board of state canvassers shall make an
official declaration of the sufficiency or insufficiency of a
petition under this chapter at least 2 months before the election
at which the proposal is to be submitted. The board of state
canvassers shall declare the petition sufficient unless it
determines that the petition is not in proper form or that the
number of valid signatures is less than the minimum number
required. In determining the sufficiency of the form of the
petition, the board of state canvassers shall not consider the
substance of the proposal affixed to the petition. If the board of
state canvassers declares that the petition is sufficient, the
secretary of state shall send copies of the statement of purpose of
the proposal as approved by the board of state canvassers under
section 474 to the several daily and weekly newspapers published in
this state, with the request that the newspapers give as wide
publicity as possible to the proposed amendment or other question.
Publication of any matter by any newspaper under this section shall
be without expense or cost to the state of Michigan.
(2) For the purposes of the second paragraph of section 9 of
article II of the state constitution of 1963, a law that is the
subject of the referendum continues to be effective until the
referendum is properly invoked, which occurs when the board of
state canvassers makes its official declaration of the sufficiency
of the referendum petition. The board of state canvassers shall
complete the canvass of a referendum petition within 60 days after
the petition is filed with the secretary of state, except that 1
15-day extension may be granted by the secretary of state if
necessary to complete the canvass.