Free Speech

Michigan's Energy Monopoly Won't Be Fixed by Restricting Everyone's Free Speech

Proposal 2 is about much more than DTE and Consumers Energy—and it’s unconstitutional.

Jarrett Skorup and Patrick Wright | 11.6.2026 4:00 PM

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Michigan's energy policy is a mess. But a campaign finance ballot initiative adopted by the state this week won't solve that problem, and it will impose unconstitutional speech restrictions far beyond what most people realize.

On November 3, over 80 percent of Michigan residents voted in favor of Proposal 2. Citizens should be forgiven for what they thought they were voting for.

Nearly all advertising for Proposal 2 emphasized that it was about getting money out of politics, specifically indicating that the proposal was a way to punch back at the "monopoly" energy and healthcare companies responsible for high costs in Michigan. Very little money was spent opposing Proposal 2, and supporters said it was about "paying the highest energy rates in the Midwest for the worst service."

Here's what people saw on the ballot:

The proposal would:

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