Michigan LCV challenges state lawmakers to reject money from monopoly utility companies

Launches upgrade to its Legislative Scorecard to continually shine a light on utility contributions to lawmakers 

LANSING – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters today unveiled new upgrades to its Digital Scorecard that tracks and scores legislative votes on environmental and democracy issues in Lansing. The new updates allow users to track not only how well their elected officials protect the environment, but how much money they take from big utility companies like DTE and Consumers Energy.

Alongside the updates to the Scorecard, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters is also launching its “No Utility Money Challenge,” urging lawmakers in the state Legislature to refuse political contributions and gifts from these monopoly utility companies in Michigan.

An initial set of bi-partisan, bi-cameral lawmakers who have signed onto the Challenge receive special designation on their scorecards. 

“Too many of our lawmakers believe their primary job is only to raise money from these companies – not hold them accountable or work to fix glaring problems like Michiganders paying the highest rates for the worst service in the Midwest,” said Bob Allison, deputy director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “This system is broken and we’re going to shine a brighter, hotter light on Big Utility money and give every person in Michigan the ability to see how much their lawmaker is taking from them so they too can ask the pointed question: who’s side are you on?”

The lawmakers who have accepted the challenge to-date are: Senator Rosemary K. Bayer (13th district), Rep. Erin Byrnes (15th district), Senator Stephanie Chang (3rd district), Rep. Jim DeSana (29th district), Rep. Kimberly L. Edwards (12th district), Rep. Morgan Foreman (33rd district), Rep. Kristian Grant (82nd district), Rep. Kara Hope (74th district), Rep. Sharon MacDonell (56th district), Rep. Mike McFall (14th district), Rep. Donavan McKinney (11th district), Rep. Denise Mentzer (61st district), Rep. Reggie Miller (31st district), Rep. Jason Morgan (23rd district), Rep. Veronica Paiz (10th district), Rep. Natalie Price (6th district),  Rep. Carrie A. Rheingans (47th district), Senator Sue Shink (14th District), Rep. Dylan Wegela (26th district), Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr. (32nd district), Rep. Stephanie A. Young (16th district), and more have committed to do so. 

The new update to Michigan LCV’s Digital Scorecard tracks campaign finance contributions from DTE Energy Company Political Action Committee and CMS Energy Corp Employees for Better Government, PACs for Michigan’s two largest monopoly utility companies. It tracks contributions for all sitting lawmakers since taking office and provides breakdowns by year.

Due to complications with recent updates to the Secretary of State website, most recent data from 2025 is currently unavailable, but will be added once issues with the SoS site are resolved. The tool also features some verified dark money giving from utility affiliated 501(C)(4) organizations, which will be built upon as more giving from utility dark money organizations are able to be linked to lawmaker-controlled non-profit organizations. 

Accepting the No Utility Money Challenge means that Michigan lawmakers and their campaigns have adopted a policy to not knowingly accept more than $200 total of contributions from energy utility, PACs, and their lobbyists, executives, employee PACs, associated PACs direct and independent, issue committees, independent expenditure committees, associations, institutions, corporations, or other entities like utility-funded 527s or 501(c)(4)s.

Both DTE and Consumers Energy are two of the biggest political donors in Michigan. In 2022, a nonprofit linked to DTE spent close to $5 million, including on lobbying, advertising and contributions to funds associated with elected officials. A Consumers-funded nonprofit reported spending more than $4.5 million that same year on similar activities.  

81% of Michigan voters support banning political donations from regulated monopolies. After hearing arguments, support jumps to 86% – across party lines, according to a recent poll.