LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Groups that want to legalize recreational marijuana and repeal a law that requires union-level wages on state-financed building projects can begin gathering voter signatures.

The Board of State Canvassers approved the form of the petitions on Thursday.

The ballot committees must collect roughly 252,000 valid voter signatures needed to put the bills before the Republican-led Legislature and potentially voters.

Lawmakers likely would not act on the marijuana measure and instead let it go to a statewide vote in 2018. A new ballot committee has been created to oppose the marijuana legalization drive.

GOP legislators could pass the repeal of the prevailing wage law to bypass Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s past veto threat.