LANSING — The Michigan Catholic Conference has joined a statewide coalition opposed to a ballot initiative calling for a Michigan constitutional convention.
Citing a threat that the convention would be influenced by out-of-state actors and interests, the conference is encouraging a "no" vote on the Proposal 1 ballot question in November, which will ask voters whether a constitutional convention should be convened.
The Michigan state constitution requires the ballot question to be presented to voters every 16 years.
The automatic ballot referral was placed in the Michigan Constitution in 1960 by ballot proposal. Voters approved holding a constitutional convention in 1961, and the rewritten constitution was approved in 1963.
Since then, the ballot question has been rejected by voters by wide margins in 1978, 1994 and 2010.
Following a unanimous decision in June by the Michigan Catholic Conference Board of Directors — chaired by Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Detroit — the conference joined the statewide Protect MI Constitution coalition in encouraging a "no" vote.
Other organizations part of the coalition include the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Citizens for Traditional Values, the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Education Association, Progress Michigan, Voters Not Politicians and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.
Paul A. Long, president and CEO of the Michigan Catholic Conference, said a state constitutional convention opens the risk of out-of-state actors having an outsized influence on the convention’s proceedings.
“With the nationalization of state-based politics becoming more the norm than the exception, a constitutional convention would likely open Michigan’s governing document to extraordinary out-of-state influence and engagement,” Long said.
The conference said in a press release that there are already mechanisms to improve parts of the Michigan constitution — particularly policies that impact human life and access to education choice — but those individual policies can be pursued issue-by-issue through a citizens’ initiative process, which allows individuals and groups to petition for constitutional amendments to be placed on the ballot.
In the buildup to the Aug. 4 primary and the Nov. 3 general election, the Michigan Catholic Conference is distributing a new edition of its Focus publication titled “Form Your Conscience, Vote With Faith.” The publication can be found at local parishes or online at micatholic.org/election2026.
