Michigan Proposal H, Education Voucher Program and School Funding Initiative (1978)

Michigan Proposal H
Election date November 7, 1978
Topic Property taxes and Public education funding
Status Defeated
Type Initiated constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens

Michigan Proposal H was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in Michigan on November 7, 1978. It was defeated.

A “yes” vote supported this constitutional amendment to: prohibit the use of property taxes for funding school operating expenses; require the legislature to establish a general state tax to provide school funding; and require the legislature to create an education voucher program that allows parents to use vouchers to fund their child's education at a public or nonpublic school.

A “no” vote opposed this constitutional amendment prohibiting property taxes for funding school operating expenses, requiring the legislature to establish a general state tax to provide school funding, and requiring the legislature to create an education voucher program.

Election results

Michigan Proposal H
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		718,440	25.71%
No		2,075,583	74.29%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposal H was as follows:

“

PROPOSAL H PROPOSAL TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF PROPERTY TAXES FOR SCHOOL OPERATING EXPENSES AND TO ESTABLISH A VOUCHER SYSTEM FOR FINANCING EDUCATION OF STUDENTS AT PUBLIC AND NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD: Prohibit the use of property taxes for school operating expenses. Require the legislature to establish a program of general state taxation for support of schools. Require the legislature to provide for the issuance of an educational voucher to be applied toward financing a student's education at a public or nonpublic school of the student's parent's or guardian's choice. Should this amendment be adopted? YES NO

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in Michigan

An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.

In Michigan, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 10% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

See also

1978 Measures

• 1978 Measures
• Public education funding on the ballot
• School choice policy on the ballot
• Property taxes on the ballot
• 1978 legislative sessions

Michigan

• Michigan ballot measures
• Michigan ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Michigan Department of State, "Initiatives and Referendums Under the Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963," December 5, 2008