Michigan Prohibit Installation of Utility-Scale Solar Installations on Agricultural-Zoned Land Initiative (2024)
| Michigan Prohibit Installation of Utility-Scale Solar Installations on Agricultural-Zoned Land Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2024 | |
| Topic Food and agriculture and Energy | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Michigan Prohibit Installation of Utility-Scale Solar Installations on Agricultural-Zoned Land Initiative was not on the ballot in Michigan as an indirect initiated state statute on November 5, 2024.
The ballot measure would have prohibited the installation or operation of utility-scale solar installations on agricultural-zoned land. The prohibition would not have applied to the installation of solar panels on agricultural-zoned land by individual landowners.[1]
The proposed ballot measure is an indirect initiated state statute. In Michigan, citizen-initiated statutes that receive enough valid signatures are sent to the Legislature, which then has 40 days to pass the initiative into law. The governor cannot veto indirect initiatives that legislators approve. If the legislature does not approve the initiative, then it appears on the next general election ballot.
Text of measure
The full text of the ballot measure is available here.
Sponsor
- Michigan Citizens for Protection of Farmland is leading the support for this initiative.[1]
Path to the ballot
Process in Michigan
In Michigan, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 8 percent of votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial election. Signatures older than 180 days are invalid, which means all signatures must be collected within a 180-day window. Petitions for initiated statutes must be filed 160 days prior to the election. Successful initiative petitions are sent to the legislature, which then has 40 days to pass the proposed law. If the legislature does not approve the initiative, it goes on the ballot. If the legislature approves the initiative, it becomes law without needing the signature of the governor.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2024 ballot:
- Signatures: 356,958 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was May 29, 2024.
Signature petitions are filed with the secretary of state and verified by the board of state canvassers using a random sample method of verification.
Stages of this initiative
- On April 6, 2023, the Michigan Citizens for Protection of Farmland campaign submitted petition language.[2]
- On April 28, 2023, the campaign withdrew the petition summary.[2]
See also
Footnotes
