PETITION FORMS RECEIVE GO-AHEAD

Backers Can Gather Signatures to Put Legislature, Health Care Plans
on '08 Ballot.

LANSING -- Petition forms calling for a part-time Legislature and
mandating universal health care in Michigan won approval Wednesday of
a state elections panel, paving the way for circulators to begin
gathering signatures next month.

Both measures would go on the general election ballot in November of 2008.

The Board of State Canvassers voted 4-0 to approve the part-time
Legislature petition, which calls for a constitutional amendment that
would slash the legislative session schedule from year-round to four
months, reduce lawmakers' salaries and limit their benefits.

A second proposed state constitutional amendment ensuring "affordable
and comprehensive health care" for every Michigan resident also was
approved by a 4-0 vote of the bipartisan panel.

The board's approval means the petitions adhere to the letter of the
law as to size, format and typeface, but has nothing to do with the
substance of the petition language. Any disputes over content would
have to be decided by the courts.

Circulators need to collect more than 380,000 petition signatures.

Greg Schmid, a Saginaw attorney involved in the part-time Legislature
campaign, said his group intends to spend about $1 million to put the
issue on the ballot and the campaign will begin with a direct mailing
to voters on Jan. 8.

"We're trying to get a different cast of characters in Lansing. Term
limits was a great start, now we need this to make sure we have
citizen legislators with real-world experience who are grounded in
their home communities, not in the state capital," Schmid said.

The amendment calls for a March-to-July annual session with
allowances for up to 20 special session days. Lawmakers' salaries
would be cut from $79,650 to $40,000 a year with a 1 percent penalty
for each session day missed. Legislators would not get retirement or
medical benefits after they leave office.

Health Care for Michigan, a coalition that says it has the backing of
a wide array of interests, including labor and the AARP, plans to
hold a campaign kickoff event Jan. 8 and begin circulating petitions
on Michigan primary election day, Jan. 15.

Gary Benjamin, spokesman for the group, said the constitutional
amendment calls for a more cost-effective financing system for health
care so every Michiganian can have health insurance coverage.

The $60 billion currently spent in the state on health care is more
than enough to provide coverage for everyone, including the 850,000
Michigan residents who are uninsured, he said.

"We don't need more money for health care, we need more health care
for our money," said Valerie Przywara, an organizer of the coalition.

Petition gathering will cost about $1 million and the group hopes to
raise $4 million for a promotional campaign, Benjamin said.

Also on Wednesday, the Board of State Canvassers:

Announced that challenges to a half-million petition signatures
submitted by a group advocating legalized marijuana for medical
patients in pain will be permitted as soon as its staff is finished
with a signature sample, likely in mid-to-late January. About 304,000
valid signatures are required. Michigan voters likely will decide in
November of next year whether seriously ill patients can use
marijuana to ease their pain should they get a prescription.

Did not approve the petition form for a group that wants to amend the
state constitution to require a statewide vote on any law that
creates a new tax, continues a tax, or reduces a tax deduction or
credit. The board decided the petition was difficult to read and
could lead to voter confusion.

The board directed staff to ask the group to draft a more readable
version and resubmit it.