As reported in the last Watcher, the Michigan House was considering a bill that would prohibit Michigan nonprofits from using any resources that are "from a public body or a person acting on behalf of a public body" for advocacy around a state ballot initiative. This language was dropped from the bill before House passage, but House Speaker Rick Johnson (R) has said the language will likely end up "in another set of legislation." There has been no indication when this will come up again.

The original purpose of the bill, according to the Speaker, was to prohibit groups such as the Michigan Municipal League from using dues paid by government bodies in ballot campaigns. Michigan nonprofits, however, pointed out that the language was broad enough that moneys from government employee contribution campaigns might also have been affected.