Whittaker: Get money out of politics
How did we get here? Money talks. The people who are responsible for holding these monopoly utilities accountable — our elected officials — get contributions from the very firms they’re supposed to regulate. DTE and Consumers contributed more than a quarter of a million dollars to Michigan legislators in the first six months of 2025. […]
This ballot proposal takes aim at DTE and dark money in Michigan politics
Some of the most powerful corporations in Michigan are hoping you don’t hear about this new ballot proposal. It’s called Mop Up Michigan, and it aims to ban political donations from the state’s biggest utility companies like DTE and Consumers Energy, along with other big corporations that are making huge money off government contracts. And […]
Michigan loophole makes it difficult to track utilities’ donations to politicians
DTE Energy and Consumers Energy are among the nation’s largest utility companies, and are unpopular in Michigan because, federal data shows, the state over the last decade has had among the nation’s highest rates and worst-in-the-nation reliability. The utilities are prolific campaign donors, and their contributions are thought to be the reason why reform legislation […]
Consumers Energy bankrolling opposition to Michigan political spending limits
Consumers Energy’s parent company has donated half the money raised so far by a campaign fighting a Michigan ballot initiative that would restrict utilities’ political spending, recent disclosures show. CMS Energy pumped $15,000 into Protect MI Free Speech, the committee formed to oppose the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics ballot initiative. The other $15,000 […]
Ballot proposals advance, aiming to get ‘dark money’ out of politics
Supplying energy to over 80% of Michigan residents, utility companies DTE and Consumers Energy provide the majority of electricity in the state. However, a recent report from the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan said the state’s utilities rank near the bottom of a national list for reliability and environmental impact. Utility companies have a history […]
Advocates hope banning many utility donations will help clean energy legislation in Michigan
Renewable-energy advocates say utilities have too much influence over the officials that regulate them, and that a proposed ballot measure could help change that. In 2022, Michigan’s largest utility, DTE, donated to 138 of Michigan’s 148 legislators. Sean McBrearty says that’s too much. McBrearty is with Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, the group behind […]
Ballot Proposal to Ban Corporate Political Spending Moves Forward
A ballot proposal aimed at restoring public trust by tackling corporate influence in politics is another step further after its petition language was approved by a state panel last week. Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (MMOP) is a grassroots coalition of progressive organizations leading a statewide ballot initiative to ban political contributions from companies […]
Proposal to limit political spending from Michigan utilities advances
Another ballot initiative was approved to start collecting signatures Friday, with the hopes of appearing on the 2026 ballot. The initiative, supported by the group Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, would ban political spending from utility companies and other large state contractors. Michigan’s utilities, namely DTE and Consumers Energy, have donated to a significant […]
Michigan panel OKs signature-gathering to ban political spending by ‘monopoly’ utilities
After hours of deliberation Friday, members of the Michigan Board of State Canvassers unanimously approved petition language for an effort to ban political spending by utilities like Consumers Energy and DTE and large state contractors. Should it make the ballot — and voters approve it — the effort would require lawmakers draft legislation prohibiting regulated […]
Group behind effort to ban DTE, Consumers political spending lays groundwork
Town halls look to educate voters and volunteers on proposed Michigan ballot initiative to ban political spending by utilities ahead of canvassing board decision on petition language. A ballot committee that aims to block DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, and other companies from making political donations is hosting town halls across the state ahead of an […]