Inside the Michigan Supreme CourtLANSING, Mich. (AP) -
The Michigan Supreme Court says a referendum on the state's emergency manager law will appear on the November ballot.
Republican Justice Mary Beth Kelly provided the crucial vote for Friday's decision, joining three Democratic justices.
The court was asked to decide a technical issue: Did the petitions used to gather signatures have the right type size?
But its decision means voters will decide whether to keep or kill a law that sends powerful emergency managers into distressed communities and school districts to fix their finances.
The decision is also a major victory for unions, which represent many workers who have been laid off or whose pay has been slashed by emergency managers. It's a significant loss for Republicans, especially Gov. Rick Snyder, who signed the law.
"It is good to see the flame of democracy ignited again in the State of Michigan," said Flint Mayor Dayne Walling upon hearing of the court's ruling. "Voters now will be able to exercise their constitutional right to consider repealing the emergency manager act."
Walling continued, "The legal decision does not change anything about the City of Flint's finances, however. It is my hope that there can be cooperation at all levels in the public and private sectors to address the deep rooted challenges we face in Michigan's communities. This is a time when we need to stop fighting over control and instead work together in equal cooperation."
Copyright 2012 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.
