There are 50,000 petitions to defeat the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act out in 73 of Michigan's 83 counties, according to the petition drive's director.
Wendy Day, director of Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom, said the movement also has coordinators in more than half of the counties.
The petition drive is an attempt to roll back the federal health care law recently approved by the U.S. Congress. The petition would put a proposed state constitutional amendment on the ballot in November to be voted upon.
To get on the ballot, organizers need 381,000 signatures by July 5. Day said they've collected 12,000 signatures as of Saturday but many of the petitions are still out.
Day said they've met the early benchmarks of setting up a distribution and collection system.
"It's not easy," Day said. "It will evolve."
The movement is getting some help.
The Michigan Republican Party and the National Federal of Independent Business have joined the cause.
The GOP is offering its 10 Victory Centers located around the state as a place to drop off and pick up petitions.
The National Federation of Independent Business will get the petitions out among its members.
"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a massive piece of legislation that will unfold over the next 10 years," said Charlie Owens, the NFIB's Michigan director, in a press release. "Its complex provisions have already proven to be difficult to interpret. However, one thing is already clear — small business will be at the losing end of much of the next tax and regulatory requirements, and those costs will come straight out of the pockets of Michigan small businesses."
Owens stated that the NFIB will get petitions out to members and will also have 10 field representatives who cover the state involved.
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.