LANSING, Mich. – Citizens for Local Choice is proud to announce the support of the Michigan Farm Bureau as the statewide ballot committee seeks to repeal Part 8 of the Clean and Renewable Energy and Energy Waste Reduction Act as added by Public Act 233 of 2023.
“The issue at hand is not about whether or not you’re in favor of large-scale wind and solar projects,” said Michigan Farm Bureau President Carl Bednarski. “It’s about whether you support local control — and ultimately respect the local decision-making process. We urge our members to make their voices heard and help us in getting this initiative on the ballot to put the power back in the hands of locally elected officials.”
The organization aggressively opposed the legislation last October, with more than 2,100 members responding to an MFB action alert on the siting issue, sending more than 4,200 messages to lawmakers opposing the legislation and expressing their support for keeping solar and wind energy siting decisions in the hands of locally elected officials.
Michigan Farm Bureau’s member-developed and approved policy has long supported the township government system and the idea that local elected officials are best positioned to evaluate renewable energy project locations and consider community variables in ways that state level authorities cannot.
“Similar to the diversity of Michigan agriculture, each Michigan community is equally diverse, and this law is a one-size-fits-all approach that will have consequences for years to come,” added Andrew Vermeesch, Legislative Counsel, Michigan Farm Bureau.
According to Vermeesch, more than 400 voting delegates reaffirmed policy during the organization’s annual delegate floor sessions this past December reading as follows:
“Acknowledgement of the diversity and uniqueness of each community in our state. We believe that land use decisions are best made by local communities including planning and zoning decisions for energy siting and mega site development. We oppose preemption of local zoning for these purposes.”
As Michigan’s second leading industry, agriculture is a critical fabric of Michigan’s economy that cannot be ignored, according to Rich Studley, Citizens for Local Choice committee member.
“By supporting the Citizens for Local Choice initiative, the Michigan Farm Bureau is taking a leadership role in restoring the rights and authority of local officials and amplifying the voice of their members,” Studley said. “Their statewide engagement will prove they are on the right side of this policy, and on the right side of the citizens, when it comes to preserving and protecting local voices and control.”
Citizens for Local Choice is currently collecting signatures to secure a place on the general election ballot. The committee has a total of 180 days to gather signatures, but if the required 356,958 valid signatures from registered voters can be obtained by May 29th, the initiative could be placed on the November 2024 ballot; otherwise, the initiative would advance to the November 2026 ballot.
Those interested in getting involved in the effort, donate, or to request petitions can visit www.micitizenschoice.org for more information.
CONTACT: Jenell Leonard, 517-268-0889, citizensforlocalchoice@gmail.com
Paid for with regulated funds by Citizens for Local Choice, P.O. Box 14309 Lansing, MI 48901
