Several statewide groups are working to ban political contributions from utility companies like DTE, Consumers Energy and corporations that hold state and local government contracts.
Organizers with Voters Not Politicians and Michigan United Action said Monday they will be leading an all-out effort to put a proposal on the ballot that would change how politicians are able to raise money.
Michiganders for Money Out of Politics leaders said DTE and Consumers Energy have dumped millions into Lansing to escape accountability, while Michiganders pay the highest electric rates in the Midwest for the worst power outages.
Sean McBrearty, the state director of Clean Water Action and vice chair of Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, told reporters during a press conference Monday on Zoom that the coalition will look for support from residents across the political spectrum to restrain the power of large corporations that spend millions each year through nonprofits to influence the decisions of lawmakers.
McBrearty said all residents should be united against the worst examples of corporate influence — when corporations become reliant on government support and intervention for their profits.
“Whether you’re a card carrying member of Democratic Socialists of America, or a MAGA hat wearing Republican, or anything in between, we hope to earn your support,” McBrearty said, adding that it will take a grassroots movement counter corporate money’s influence.
Ponsella Hardaway said the groups are taking a huge risk going against giant corporations with virtually unlimited spending power.
“We cannot be polarized and paralyzed by big corporations that we can’t get the things that we need done (to improve) the quality of our lives,” Hardaway said. “This is about David versus Goliath and I think we’re ready to take this risk, we have to, we don’t have a choice.”
Organizers said the ballot language will be presented to the State Board of Canvassers in July, with a goal to collect 357,000 valid signatures for the November 2026 ballot.
“This policy will help us release our Legislature from the corporate capture that it is currently enduring so that our politicians can work to serve the people of Michigan,” said Kim Murphy-Kovalick, senior director of policy and programs for Voters Not Politicians.
Voters Not Politicians was the group that led the effort to reform Michigan’s gerrymandered political district maps thanks to the successful ballot initiative in 2018.
Representatives from Michigan United Action and Clean Water Action are also part of the coalition and spoke about what they said was the corruptive nature corporations having a say in Michigan’s lawmaking process at the press conference Monday.
Ken Whittaker of Michigan United Action said each group will motivate people around the state to raise money for the campaign, which will face steep opposition from corporations seeking to wield power over the state’s political leaders.
“Even though we have Citizens United, money doesn’t walk into a ballot box and vote — people do,” Whittaker said. “We are organizing people in all 83 counties and plan to be victorious at the ballot.”
Leaders also said they expect it to become easier for state legislators to support corporate accountability measures if their initiative is passed.
“We know that DTE and Consumers are going to spend as much money as it takes fighting us on this, because no matter how much money they spend fighting us on this, it’s cheaper for them to actually fix their crumbling infrastructure,” McBrearty said. “We decided to include utility companies because it is a regulated industry that has a monopoly on services in Michigan. There is a strong record of fact that DTE and Consumers have a corrupting influence on the legislative process in Lansing.”
He said it isn’t a cure all for every problem with campaign finance, but a major step forward that will bring greater accountability.
Critics say energy companies have increased costumer energy rates without significant improvements to their power grid, despite having reported spending $1.5 billion to improve it. Earlier this year, DTE announced it would be seeking a $574 million rate increase from the Michigan Public Service Commission for 2026 — about an $11 increase.
“Just three months after the MPSC approved a $217 million rate hike, DTE is already back, asking for nearly $600 million more from ratepayers still very dissatisfied with the quality of service they receive,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement at the time. “At some point, we have to ask how long utility companies like DTE and Consumers Energy will be allowed to treat customer bills and our energy rates like a blank check.”
Coalition organizers say there’s already precedent to ban utilities from political spending.
State governments such as Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Georgia and federal agencies such as the Securities Exchange Commission have also banned political spending by monopoly corporations and corporations seeking government contracts, leaders said.
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