The Research Council Also Releases Paper Explaining the Process of a Constitutional Convention, Prior to Statewide Vote on Proposal 1.

Livonia, MI, September 22, 2026 – Prior to the November general election, when voters will be asked to vote on Proposal 2020-01, a constitutional revision, the Citizens Research Council today released the 15th and final paper in its series on the Michigan Constitution: Article XII – Amendment and Revision.

The Research Council also released Proposal 2026-01 – Constitutional Revision, which summarizes and explains the constitutional convention process, the policy issues a constitutional convention could examine, including the most highly charged issues, and inoperative and obsolete provisions of the current constitution.

Under Article XII, the people retain the power to alter the fundamental organic document that creates, empowers, and limits Michigan’s state and local governments, and they delegate that power to the legislature. No matter how carefully a state constitution is drafted at adoption, it will need to change over time. The principal focus of a constitutional convention’s attention in considering constitutional amendments and revisions would be to find the appropriate degree of accessibility and difficulty in adopting constitutional changes.

Proposal 2026-01 – Constitutional Revision describes the upcoming vote (Proposal 2026-01) and what would happen if voters reject or approve a constitutional convention. It provides historical context on Michigan’s current constitution, which voters narrowly adopted in 1963, and the 98 proposed amendments to the current constitution, initiated by the legislature and voter-circulated petitions.

Of those 98 proposed amendments, 44 were adopted, with the most frequently amended sections being Article IX (Finance and Taxation) and Article IV (Legislative Branch). Some articles, such as Article VII (Local Government), have never had an amendment proposed, let alone adopted.

The Constitution contains several highly contested provisions, making Proposal 1 either a threat or an opportunity depending on one’s views. These include: reproductive rights, same‑sex marriage, affirmative action limits, stem cell research, and death penalty rules; voting rights; term limits for legislators and executives; judicial elections; local government home rule; autonomy for state universities; tax and revenue limits, dedicated funding rules, and a ban on public dollars for private schools; eminent domain restrictions; and the constitutional amendment process.

The Citizens Research Council takes no position on whether to call a constitutional convention.

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Founded in 1916, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan works to improve government in Michigan. The organization provides factual, unbiased, independent information concerning significant issues of state and local government organization, policy, and finance. By delivery of this information to policymakers and citizens, the Research Council aims to ensure sound and rational public policy formation in Michigan. For more information, visit www.crcmich.org.