Progressive advocates highlight opposition to annual Mackinac Island conference
Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Twp., Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Twp., and House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, participate in a PAC reception during the third day of the Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich., on May 29, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)
The Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference is a controversial fixture of Michigan politics.
Each year politicians, lobbyists, business representatives and community leaders gather at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island for three days of handshaking, networking and panel discussions aimed at issues like education, housing, economic development and foreign policy.
Recent conferences have featured appearances from members of the state's congressional delegation and remarks from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, alongside various politicians, politicos and business leaders such as former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and businessman Mark Cuban.
However, the conference has drawn criticism from Detroiters who say the chamber's agenda doesn't match their needs, while activist groups have raised concerns about the influence of corporate money in politics.
While media and certain government officials receive complimentary registration, attending the conference carries a multi-thousand dollar price tag, with registration for the 2025 conference coming in at $3,700 for general members of the Detroit Regional Chamber and $4,900 for future members.
The conference also carries several big name sponsors including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Rocket Companies and the state's largest energy providers, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy.
Sam Inglot, director of the progressive advocacy group Progress Michigan called the conference 'a petri dish of some of the worst aspects of our political system.'
'Corporate money flooding our politics, exclusive access for only those with money and a lot of self-congratulatory bullcrap from political and lobbying insiders. What do Michiganders actually get out of this performance?' Inglot said in a statement.
As part of its monthly Lake Effect Poll, conducted by the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, Progress Michigan asked 622 Michigan voters between May 30 and May 31, 2025 about their thoughts on the conference.
One question states 'these lawmaker trips to Mackinac Island are often funded by corporate lobbyists, who join lawmakers on the island as they make public policy decisions,' before asking voters whether they supported lawmakers traveling to places like Mackinac Island to make policy decisions that impact communities across the state.
In response, most voters opposed having their officials travel to the conference, with 44% in strong opposition and 27% saying they somewhat opposed the notion.
While Republicans and Democrats offered similar levels of opposition to lawmakers making the trip to Mackinac to talk policy, independents offered the strongest opposition of any subpopulation, with 47% in strong opposition and 27% saying they were somewhat opposed.
Another question states 'Every year Michigan lawmakers travel to Mackinac Island, a place accessible only by ferry or private plane, to gather and make important public policy decisions,' before asking voters whether they support officials traveling to the island to make policy decisions.
Responses to this question were increasingly split, with 45% of voters offering their opposition – with 25% strongly opposed – compared to 38% in support. The remaining 17% responded they weren't sure of their opinion.
While Democrats were more supportive of lawmakers traveling to the island to make policy decisions with 46% offering support, Republicans and independents were more opposed to officials going on policymaking trips. Fifty-one percent of Republicans offered some form of opposition, while 50% of Independent voters were opposed, compared to the 35% of independents in support.
'The more people learn about the Mackinac Policy Conference and the corporate lobbyists who are the engine of it, the less they support it,' Inglot said. 'This is a trend we are seeing across the state, people are fed up with the corporate dominance of our politics. They want to see the money and the corrupting influence it brings out of our political system.'
Catia Sabak, the chamber's director of communications said the Detroit Regional Chamber is proud to have led the conference for almost 50 years.
'Other states have tried, and failed, to recreate this special convening of the state's top leadership. It is truly unique in the nation,' Sabak said. 'Despite that the Conference is hosted by a private business organization and hosted on private property, the Chamber's current leadership has made most of the thought leadership shared on the Island available free of charge via a partnership with Detroit PBS and includes over 130 working media from local, state and national outlets, including CNN.'
In an emailed statement, Kim Murphy-Kovalick, the senior director of policy for Voters Not Politicians, said Progress Michigan's polling underscores a key point: voters are fed up with the corrupting influence of money in politics.
While the conference is great for getting access to lawmakers and political leaders, the people who can afford to make that trip are mostly lobbyists, special interests groups and industry insiders, not voters, Murphy-Kovalick said.
Michigan politicians should instead place their focus on representing the voters who are excluded from attending the conference, Murphy-Kovalick said.
'Most everyday people have no insight into how Lansing functions, and this conference is one reason for that. If politicians can't afford to attend on their own dime, how can everyday Michiganders hope to compete with wealthy special interests and corporations for their attention?' she said.
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