LANSING – The petition submitted by the group seeking to repeal Michigan’s prevailing wage fell far below the minimum number of signatures from registered voters needed to bring the proposal before the Legislature, the group defending prevailing wage said Monday.
Not only did Michigan Prevails file a challenge with the Department of State to the signatures Protecting Michigan Taxpayers submitted, it also called on the department, as well as the Department of Attorney General, to launch a criminal investigation, citing rampant duplication of signatures. Some 18,767 people signed the petition twice, Michigan Prevails charged. Another 2,684 signed three times each, 588 signed four times each, 155 signed five times, 55 signed six times each, 20 signed it seven times each, and four people signed 10 times each, the group said.
Based on Michigan Prevails’ analysis of the approximately 390,000 signatures, Protecting Michigan Taxpayers is about 25,000 short of the 252,523 valid signatures of registered voters needed for certification. Using the noted firm Practical Political Consulting, the group said supporters of repeal also fell short of the number of signatures needed in the sample pulled from the 390,000.
“We think we’re absolutely clear that this petition woefully failed to qualify for certification,” said John Pirich, attorney for Michigan Prevails. “This is an absurdity to see that every other page in the 50,000 page plus sheets that were turned in there’s a duplicate signature.”
Chris Fisher, the head of the petition drive, said he could not see how the 392,000 signatures the group submitted could be overturned and that he was surprised opponents were so confident in their analysis.
The Department of State’s Bureau of Elections is working on its staff report about the petition, and that is expected to be completed next week, department spokesperson Fred Woodhams said. The final decision is up to the Board of State Canvassers, which is expected to meet late next week.
Should Protecting Michigan Taxpayers in fact come up short, it would represent a huge victory for prevailing wage supporters who until now seemed powerless to stop repeal. The Senate already had passed repeal, and House Speaker Kevin Cotter (R-Mount Pleasant) said he was fully confident the House had the votes for repeal there too.
Governor Rick Snyder opposes repealing the prevailing wage, but under the Constitution, he has no power to stop a voter-initiated act approved by both houses of the Legislature.
The group could resubmit a new petition and begin anew on signature gathering, but if the allegations hold up, it would throw the viability of a second try into serious doubt. Protecting Michigan Taxpayers already had spent $1.5 million on its effort.
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