Michigan Supreme Court orders emergency manager law referendum on ballot [View all]

[MichiganVote]

Michigan Supreme Court orders emergency manager law referendum on ballot for possible repeal
by Kristin Longley

A split Michigan Supreme Court has ordered that a referendum of the state's controversial emergency manager law should go on the ballot, meaning Public Act 4 will go before voters in November for possible repeal.

The court's order effectively settles months of legal wrangling that began after a group called Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility challenged the petitions' font size, arguing the wording was too small under guidelines set by state law.

The challenge worked its way from the state Board of Canvassers to the Court of Appeals then to the Michigan Supreme Court. The court also overturned a lower court's ruling that says petitions' font size can "substantially comply" with the law and still be certified. The court ruled that "actual compliance" is the new standard, but still said the Public Act 4 petitions should be certified.

The cities of Flint, Benton Harbor, Ecorse and Pontiac and the school districts of Detroit, Muskegon Heights and Highland Park are all under state-appointed emergency managers. Detroit, Inkster and River Rouge are all under consent agreements, a step below the appointment of an emergency manager.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/08/michigan_supreme_court_orders.html
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Here come the TV ad's for "fiscal accountability"