That includes the structure of the three branches of government, the Declaration of Rights in Article 1, judicial reforms and crime victims’ rights, limits on criminal appeals and bail provisions and much more. Recent voter-approved additions – redistricting reforms, voting expansions, abortion rights, tax limitations, property tax caps – could all be revisited including whether we really need a full-time legislature.

Do your homework before you vote.

Liberato suggests studying up on the matter before Michiganders vote on it. She points to the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan who is providing a public service by publishing a series of 15 educational papers to inform voters of the issues involving Con-Con ahead of the November election. The reports are designed to offer factual, independent analysis.

So far… mostly silence on the proposal – but there is opposition.

Not a whole lot of people are currently talking about the Con-Con vote and it’s not getting much traction in the mainstream media – yet. We can probably make the assumption that neither party wants this to happen and that is most likely because no sitting legislators are allowed to be delegates. Justin Long, as associate professor at Wayne State University’s School of Law, told WDET-Detroit Public Radio, “I think neither political party (Democratic or Republican) feels assured that they’ll be able to control the convention, because delegates are elected directly by the people.”

Coalition formed to block a constitutional convention.

In August of 2025, a coalition (ballot committee) was formed to fight against the Con-Con. At the website “Protect MI Constitution from Special Interests” they proclaim “Stand up to radical and extreme special interest groups who want to rewrite the Michigan Constitution” and add that a Con- Con would have “devastating effects on all Michiganders.” They claim that their coalition, which includes the League of Women Voters of Michigan, includes a bipartisan group of small business owners, skilled trades workers, teachers, nurses, police officers, and firefighters.

Denise Hartsough and Lynne Kochmanski, co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Michigan, wrote an op-ed in the Detroit News in January to urge voters to say “no” to Proposal 1 calling it “long, costly process and it would allow special interests to insert their narrow agendas into our constitution in secret.”

Follow the money and the messaging.

Jeff Timmer, a leading spokesperson and advocate opposing a Con-Con and also a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, provided a statement about the coalition in August of last year to Gongwer saying, “We are encouraged by our early conversations with a broad range of organizations and individuals who, like us, are concerned about opening the door for Lansing politicians and special interests to write their own rules during a Con-Con and enact extremist agendas without any accountability and little oversight from voters.”

Dianne Byrum, former Michigan House Democratic leader, is also against the Con-Con and said, “The Michigan Constitution has served us well for over 60 years, and it works.” Byrum is a founding partner of Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications, a Michigan-based public relations and political strategy firm. The firm is listed as having collected $12,000 for communication services for the “Protect MI Constitution from Special Interests” ballot committee according to state records.

The ballot committee’s January campaign finance report for the period of October 21, 2025 through December 31, 2025 shows that the committee received a single $150,000 PAC contribution from the national group American Opportunity Action, bringing total cumulative receipts to just over $302,000. It spent more than $70,000 during the reporting period and has spent $181,598.09 overall, and reports an ending balance of $120,452.89 on hand with only $50 in outstanding debt.

American Opportunity Action is a left-leaning group that focuses on policies concerning health care access, reproductive rights, economic opportunity for women and families, education, and community safety. The group, according to Bridge Michigan, is a “nonprofit ‘dark money’ group based in Washington, DC and was created less than a year ago.”

Arguments for and against.

The Michigan Farm Bureau has also weighed in on the issue and has provided commentary both for and against. Under reasons to vote yes, they list that it provides an opportunity for farmer members to serve as delegates, and it allows for potential improvements to state government, and it aligns with several MFB policy statements that would support constitutional amendments to accomplish MFB policy goals. Reasons to vote no are listed as: amending the state constitution issue by issue is a more direct and transparent approach, new governor and legislators deserve the opportunity to govern without constraints from a constitutional convention and it creates uncertainty, as the final outcome is unknown.

The bottom line.

At the end of the day, the Michigan Constitution isn’t supposed to be the property of legislators, lobbyists, labor unions, business coalitions, or whichever well-funded interest group happens to have the loudest microphone to push their agenda. It’s supposed to belong to the people. The vote is ultimately about whether everyday Michiganders are willing to reclaim their role as the ultimate authority and remind Lansing and other groups that the governing blueprint of this state answers to citizens, not the special interests of anyone else.