Opponents of the Emergency Manager law say that by the end of the month they will have enough signatures to suspend the law and give voters a chance to weigh in on it next November.


The Michigan Citizen reports:

After a major push by volunteers over the Labor Day weekend, the coalition seeking to place a referendum on the November 2012 ballot said they will have collected enough signatures and expect the campaign to come to an end this month. The effort will have collected more than 161,000 signatures.

…

Five percent of the total votes cast for the governor, or 161,304 signatures will have to be gathered and submitted 90 days after the State Legislature adjourns Dec.15 to get the language on the 2012 ballot.

Rainbow PUSH President Rev. David Bullock said 120,000 signatures have been collected and he believes the group will be finished soon.

The Emergency Manager law, also known as the Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act or Public Act 4, allows appointees to fire elected officials, break contracts, privatize services and dissolve towns.

Emergency Managers are now in place in Benton Harbor, Pontiac, Ecorse and the Detroit Public Schools. The city of Flint and the Highland Park Schools are under financial review by the Treasury Dept. and could get Emergency Managers.

Lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the measure are pending in state and federal court.