[EL] Michigan Secretary of State seeks to block ballot initiatives by special interests

[Larry Levine]

Aha. The old question: what is a special interest? The answer: someone who gives to the other side; if they give to my side they are enlightened defenders of justice and liberty. Is the Sierra Club a special interest? Is Local Union 1 a special interest? Is Exxon-Mobil a special interest? Is the ACLU a special interest? Is any deep pocket a special interest? Shall the initiative game be reduced to players who cannot afford to qualify a measure or run a campaign for it. If a group of narrowly focused zealots qualifies a measure for the ballot that would put some major industry out of business, should the industry be banned from playing defense because it’s a special interest? Is special interest just a euphemism for deep pocket?

Larry

 

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of Sam Bagenstos
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 5:23 AM
To: law-election at uci.edu
Subject: [EL] Michigan Secretary of State seeks to block ballot initiatives by special interests

 

What do Bopp, Smith, et al., make of this story?

 

Michigan Secretary of State seeks to block ballot initiatives by special interests
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012311300082

(Sent from Free Press)



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