A proposal to adopt a new city charter in Detroit should be decided by a popular vote in the city, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.
According to the court, the Detroit Charter Revision Commission is allowed to submit its proposals without Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s approval. Whitmer rejected the charter earlier this year.
Concurring with the Court’s judgement, Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote that granting that kind of veto power to the Governor would effectively disenfranchise the political voice of a large swathe of Michigan’s electorate.
Opponents to Proposal P include Mayor Mike Duggan and various business groups in Detroit. They say the new charter would be too expensive to implement. Supporters say those assessments are inaccurate, and that the charter provides a pathway to public internet, affordable water, and reparations.