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Case Study
Running a ballot initiative: our work with Citizens for Local Choice.
At the beginning of 2024, MRG welcomed a new client, Citizens for Local Choice. This bipartisan group of Michigan residents was dedicated to restoring local control of zoning regulations by securing enough signatures to place their initiative on the November 2024 ballot. Their goal was to amend the Clean and Renewable Energy and Energy Waste Reduction Act, specifically repealing Part 8 of Public Act 233 of 2023, which removed local control over large-scale utility land-use projects. The effort gained significant traction but ultimately fell short. However, it influenced the broader policy discussion by keeping local choice a top-of-mind issue for many moving forward.
Citizens for Local Choice believed that local residents possessed greater insight into their communities than bureaucrats in Lansing. The group’s broad base of bipartisan support included farmers, environmentalists, township officials, and everyday Michiganders. Recent polling indicated overwhelming support for local control, with 85% of Democrats, 91% of Republicans, and 84% of Independents backing local permitting authority for utility-scale renewable energy projects.
To achieve their goals, MRG took on the role of campaign headquarters, where petitions were picked up and dropped off. We managed the grassroots campaign, coordinating a network of over 1,000 petition circulators across the state. MRG also handled email communications, graphic design, social media content, and press releases to spread the word. Support for the campaign grew, with endorsements and active participation from organizations like the Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan Townships Association, and Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, as well as numerous elected officials and community members.
The campaign gained significant traction and attracted widespread support across Michigan, sparking statewide conversations through op-eds, endorsements, and town hall meetings that highlighted the importance of local control in utility-scale renewable energy projects. While the effort ultimately fell short, it influenced the broader policy discussion by keeping local choice a top-of-mind issue for many moving forward.
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