LANSING, Mich. — A constitutional amendment was filed in the Michigan Senate and House on Thursday that would reduce the impact of partisanship on the nomination process for candidates for attorney general and secretary of state by putting the decision in the hands of Michigan voters.
“Primaries have become the normal practice for selecting nominees for most offices, and many citizens are surprised there are no primaries for these two important offices,” said Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, one of the initiative’s sponsors. “Voters will get to know the candidates and what they stand for during the primary, and parties will be able to nominate candidates who can handle the rigors of a statewide campaign.”
House Joint Resolution U, which was introduced on Thursday, and Senate Joint Resolution I will be formally read into the record when the Senate reconvenes.
The proposed constitutional amendment would also institute new ethics requirements and establish term limits for board members of Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Board members would be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate instead of being nominated by partisan conventions.
Alumni representation would also be strengthened by adding a ninth member to all three boards. The ninth member would be appointed by the governor and chosen from names submitted to the governor for consideration by the alumni associations of each university.
“Right now, nominees for the universities are mainly those who throw the best tailgate parties and often have a lot of personal wealth, not those most qualified to administer a huge university,” McBroom said. “The other 12 universities, which are appointed by the governor, and systems all around the country, run with less turmoil and dysfunction than these three universities.
“Plus, electing college boards takes up space on the ballot but gets very little participation from voters. Let us end what is not working and use what is a time-tested, functional system.”
Under the resolution, which was introduced with strong bipartisan sponsorship, the constitutional amendment would be placed before voters on the Aug. 4, 2026, primary ballot.
In order to be placed on the August ballot, the Legislature will have to act before June 4, 2026.
The amendment would impose the same ethical standards already in place at the 12 appointed university boards, which are sorely lacking at Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.
Additionally, one member with an agricultural background would be required on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, America’s premier land-grant university.
“As a proud Spartan, I’ve been disappointed by the fractured relationships playing out publicly on the current board,” said Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, House sponsor and former speaker of the House. “Too much time has been spent on internal board disagreements and distrust for one another, and it does not benefit the university or students.
“We have a great president and an exciting new provost leading my alma mater. They’re extremely qualified and ready to lead MSU into the future. There’s no doubt in my mind that passage of this ballot proposal will improve the governance at Michigan State and other flagship universities.”
State Rep. Greg Markkanen, who was also listed as a sponsor of the House resolution, agreed that change is needed and highlighted examples of how the process should work.
“As chair of the House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I’ve been impressed with the appointed board leadership at universities like Michigan Tech, where talented and experienced board members work collaboratively for the benefit of students and the university community,” said Markkanen, R-Hancock. “I think our three great research universities would benefit from a more diverse membership. For example, most of the Michigan State trustees are from the Lansing area. At the University of Michigan, six of eight regents are attorneys.
“Geographically, all 24 members serving at the three universities reside in just six of our 83 counties.”
The sponsors reiterated the importance of House and Senate action by June 4 in order to place the amendment on the Aug. 4 ballot. If approved by voters in August, the new boards would be in place in early January 2027.
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