3 HOT-BUTTON ISSUES POISED FOR NOV. VOTE

Medical Marijuana Use, Government Reform, Stem Cells May Mobilize Voters.

Michigan voters will likely decide a red-hot trio of ballot questions
in November: a massive overhaul of state government, a plan to ease
restrictions on stem cell research, and another that would allow
seriously ill people to legally smoke marijuana.

In a normal year, the marijuana proposal would trigger the most
controversy, experts say. But the other two ballot propositions are
laced with such high emotion that the pot proposal may turn out to be
the tamest of all.

"Medical marijuana is the least controversial of the three by far,"
said former state lawmaker Dianne Byrum, the spokeswoman for that
proposal, as well as the reform proposal, which would trim the size
of state government, slash the pay and benefits of elected officials
and cut the size of the Legislature and the state's highest courts.

Backers of the stem cell and government reform proposals filed
petition signatures with the state Monday. The Board of State
Canvassers is expected to decide late next month whether organizers
collected enough valid signatures to win spots on the ballot. Court
challenges to both proposals are expected. The medical marijuana
proposal has already won a spot on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The reform proposal, which has been under the political radar and
caught most elected officials by surprise, will face strong
opposition from the likes of the Michigan Republican Party, Michigan
Chamber of Commerce and many lawmakers, some of whom could lose their
jobs under the far-reaching plan. It has the support of organized
labor and the Michigan Democratic Party, which sources say were
instrumental in its drafting.

"The reform proposal, or the stealth proposal as some call it, would
be the most dramatic organizational change in state government since
the 1963 constitution," said Craig Ruff, senior fellow at Public
Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based, nonpartisan public policy think tank.

The debate over the stem cell proposal is expected to be noisy and heated.

"It will have scientific champions and religious opposition, with a
lot of voters not having a clue what it's about," Ruff said. "I
imagine it will have a pretty provocative ad campaign on both sides."

While debate over the proposals won't drown out the presidential
race, it could overshadow state and local races, he said.

"From the standpoint of what voters can do to change the direction of
state government, there is no question the ballot proposals will have
a far more consequential impact than any election for state and local
offices," he said.

Bill Ballenger, editor of Inside Michigan Politics, said the ballot
proposals could draw some people to voting booths who might otherwise
stay home.

"It might energize small, sliver constituencies," he said. "But if
you're not motivated to vote for president, why get off the couch for
medical marijuana? And I can't envision many couch potatoes saying
they don't care about the race for president, but will be out there
voting on the stem cell issue."

Ballenger is among those who believe the government measure will be
struck from the ballot by state courts.

Below is a look at the plans:

Stem Cells

Scientists who use new human embryos for stem cell research can face
a $10 million fine and up to 10 years in prison.

Under the ballot proposal, the state constitution would be amended to
allow scientists to derive embryonic stem cells from human embryos
for medical research.

The proposal would also ban the sale of embryos for research and
uphold a Michigan law that prohibits human cloning.

Backers of the plan say embryonic stem cell research could lead to
better therapies and possible cures for diseases. They turned in more
than 570,000 signatures.

The proposal has bipartisan support, including from the presumptive
presidential nominees, Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.

Scientists are seeking access to embryos that are left over from in
vitro fertilizations, which typically are thrown away.

"The choice that will face Michigan voters is this: Do we take these
thousands of stem cells and dump them into the trash, or do we devote
them to the research that can bring cures to serious diseases and
serious injuries?" said Larry Owen, chair of the Michigan Stem Cell
Research Ballot Question Committee board.

Opponents, however, argue that doing research on human embryos is
morally wrong because it destroys life. They are gearing up for an
intense battle the likes of which hasn't been seen since 1998, when a
ballot proposal to legalize physician assisted suicide was defeated by voters.

A group formed last week -- Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted
Science and Experimentation -- says the ballot language is misleading
and would allow human cloning.

"It's a deceptive proposal that will lead to completely unrestricted
and unregulated scientific experimentation on human embryos," said
Dave Doyle, spokesman for the group that includes such political
powerhouses as the Michigan Catholic Conference and Right to Life of Michigan.

Government Reform

The group Reform Michigan Government Now turned in 487,000 signatures
for a ballot proposal calling for sweeping state constitutional changes.

"Government's not working for the people -- Michigan's families --
and this is a chance for real change," said Byrum, the campaign
spokeswoman who served for 16 years in the Legislature.

Opponents argue it would drastically change the state constitution in
one fell swoop, without giving people much time to understand it all.

The grab bag of reforms would:

. Slash the Senate from 38 to 28 members, the House from 110 to 82
members, the Supreme Court from seven to five justices and the state
appeals court from 28 to 21 judges; add 10 judges to lower courts.

. Cut state government from 20 to 18 departments.

. Set up a nine-member commission for legislative redistricting, four
from each party with a nonpartisan leader. Now, the party in power
controls the process.

. Allow anyone to vote absentee. Now, you have to be sick, elderly or
otherwise unable to get to the polls.

. Allow people to vote in primaries without declaring a party affiliation.

. Strengthen a ban against voting by illegal immigrants.

. Cut the salaries of lawmakers, the governor, lieutenant governor,
attorney general and secretary of state 25 percent, and Supreme Court
justices and judges 15 percent.

. Limit retirement benefits for all state elected officials to no
more than what retired state employees get.

. Require legislators, the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney
general, secretary of state and justices and judges each year to
report their incomes and assets, as well as those of their spouses.

. Ban lawmakers and top government officials from lobbying for two
years after they leave office.

Medical Marijuana

Marijuana possession and use are illegal for anyone in Michigan under
current law.

If voters approve the ballot initiative, people who are terminally
and seriously ill would be able to legally use marijuana if a doctor
certified that the drug could ease their suffering.

About 62 million people live in the 12 states that have adopted
medical marijuana laws since California pioneered the effort in 1996.

Medical marijuana use would remain illegal in the eyes of the federal
government, although the experience in states with medical marijuana
laws shows that patients have not been legally hassled by federal drug agents.

Backers of the ballot proposal estimate that as many as 50,000
Michigan residents would legally qualify for medical marijuana to
treat a host of "debilitating" medical problems such as cancer,
HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Alzheimer's disease, Crohn's disease and
chronic diseases or their treatments that produce wasting syndrome,
severe pain, severe nausea, seizures or muscle spasms, such as those
caused by multiple sclerosis.

Under the proposal, a patient could legally possess 2.5 ounces of
marijuana or cultivate up to 12 plants in enclosed, locked
facilities. Patients would still be prohibited from using marijuana
in public or from operating a car or machinery under the influence of the drug.

The proposal is silent about where a patient would obtain marijuana,
but the state would not play a role in providing it.

Supporters got a boost earlier this year when the American College of
Physicians, which represents 124,000 internal medical specialists,
issued a position paper that calls for expanded research into the
potential therapeutic role of marijuana and said that doctors and
patients in states with medical marijuana laws should not be subject
to federal prosecution.

The Michigan State Medical Society, which represents 15,000 doctors,
is not supporting the ballot proposal.

Lining up to strongly oppose the measure is law enforcement statewide.