A Menominee County judge has rejected an effort to remove a citizen-led proposal from the City of Menominee’s November ballot.

Circuit Court Judge Mary Barglind denied an emergency request filed by the ballot committee Menominee’s Not for Sale.

The group argued petitions circulated by the Yes, Menominee committee failed to strictly comply with Michigan election law because of multiple wording and formatting differences. It asked Barglind to order city and county election officials to remove the proposal from the ballot.

But in a written ruling issued Monday, Barglind found the petitions comply with state election laws, as well as the format recommended by the Michigan Bureau of Elections and its petition manual.

The judge also ruled the challenge was barred by the legal principle of laches—meaning Menominee’s Not for Sale waited too long to seek emergency relief.

The petitions were certified August sixth, but the lawsuit was not filed until August twenty-eighth. By the time arguments were heard September sixteenth, ballots had already been printed, and the deadline for sending ballots to military and overseas voters was just days away.

Barglind also granted Yes, Menominee’s request to intervene in the case.

With the final claim denied, the case is now closed, and the proposal will remain on Menominee’s November ballot.

The ballot initiative would ask voters to amend the City Ordinance to allow no more than thirteen marijuana retail establishments in the city. Twice last year voters strongly approved an ordinance change to put a limit on dispensaries at 9.

Last night the Menominee City Council decided to put off until November with proposed changes to the Marijuana Zoning Ordinance. An ordinance amendment which prohibits members of the city council, city employees, or city consultants from having an interest in marijuana establishments was approved.