What happened: Michiganders for Money Out of Politics collected over 500K signatures on a petition to ban the state’s regulated utilities from “political spending in state elections,” Bridge Michigan reported. Lawmakers have 40 days to decide on the measure—or leave it up to voters in November.
The background: The ballot initiative has sparked backlash from a committee called Protect MI Free Speech (which has received $15K from Consumers Energy’s parent company).
The national picture: Since 2023, 22 states have filed proposals to ban IOUs from directing customer funds toward political causes (as of May 2025). Five states (CO, CT, ME, MD, and CA) have now passed these types of rules.
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
Tue, Jul 28
NEWS: A Michigan coalition wants to stop DTE and Consumers Energy from spending on politics.
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