A coalition of business groups is asking Secretary of State Ruth Johnson to deny ballot access to the proposal constitutional amendment designed to protect collective bargaining rights as an illegal general revision of the Constitution and statutes.

An attorney filed the letter Thursday, June 21, on behalf of Citizen’s Protecting Michigan’s Constitution.

“We believe that you have a clear legal duty to reject the filed petition and to refuse to further process it, canvass the signatures or to refer the petition to the Board of State Canvassers for certification to the ballot,” attorney Gary Gordon wrote in a letter.

But the organization backing the ballot drive dismissed the criticism.

"Nearly 700,000 Michigan voters signed the petition in support of protecting the fundamental right to collective bargaining,” the statement from Protect Our Jobs said. “Corporate special interests will stop at nothing to silence the voices of all Michiganders by limiting their right to negotiate for fair wages and benefits. Now they are attempting to end run the democratic process and prevent Michiganders from even voting on the issues. Let Michigan vote."

Source:  Gongwer News Service, 6.21.12