State law limiting talk about elections won't be enforced

(AP) — The state of Michigan won’t enforce a law that blocks local government officials from talking about a ballot question before an election. U.S. District Judge John Corbett O’Meara stopped the law in February with a preliminary injunction, saying the so-called gag order was vague and violated free speech rights. Now, nearly three months later, the Secretary of State’s office said it won’t fight the lawsuit any further.

A bill that has passed the House would strike the 60-day election restriction and allow officials to talk about ballot issues through mailings and other means — if they don’t take one side or the other.