Thousands are signing on to an effort to pass the Michigan Citizens Healthcare Freedom Amendment, according to Wendy Day, director of the effort. The ballot initiative, to be officially launched this Monday, seeks to place a state constitutional amendment proposal on the November 2010 ballot.
The proposed amendment to the state constitution is one of several legal attempts to roll back the federalization of health care recently approved by the U.S. Congress and signed by the president. (Previous Michigan Capitol Confidential coverage of health care reform is here.) To attain ballot status, supporters will need to collect 390,000 valid signatures from Michigan voters by July 5.
A release from the organization notes that the first opportunity to pick up petitions will be Monday night at an informational meeting at 6:30 in the freshman campus cafeteria of the Howell Public Schools. It is located at 1400 W. Grand River Avenue in Howell, MI 48843.
Day notes that the kickoff event is sponsored by Common Sense in Government, Retake Our Gov, the 9-12 Liberty Tea Party of Livingston County and Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom.
"The response has been amazing," said Day. "Thousands of people have contacted us about being petition circulators. It is exciting to be working with people across the state to fight back against the health care takeover."
Day says that launch parties are being planned for this week in Oakland County and Lansing and that throughout the week the "Healthcare Freedom Express" will be traveling the state to deliver petitions to county coordinators and participating groups.
More information can be obtained from www.michiganhcf.com or by calling 517-375-2896.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.