A deadlocked Board of State Canvassers stood its ground at a meeting on Monday in the face of a pending Michigan Supreme Court decision.
The state Supreme Court could rule all petition forms need to include a checkbox indicating whether a signature gatherer is being paid.
But the Board of State Canvassers has already approved the forms for a pair of ballot campaigns that do not include that box.
Board member Julie Matuzak says the signatures gathered now should count if the board approved a form based on the law at the time.
“We have a checkbox, we don’t have a checkbox. The rule seems to be changing all the time. And that’s fine but the process of people initiating legislation is important and it’s ongoing.”
The split board did not approve updated versions of those petition forms as circulators asked. Instead, it will stand by a brief it submitted with the court asking any decision to apply only to future petitions.
