March 20, 2007, Introduced by Reps. Hoogendyk, Meltzer, Sheen and Caswell and referred to the Committee on Oversight and Investigations.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, by amending sections 12 and 13 of article IV
and by adding section 55 to article IV and section 43 to article
IX, to limit the legislative session, to reduce salaries and
expense allowances of members of the legislature, to reduce
compensation of state legislators who have absences from
legislative session, to prohibit state-paid retirement and health
care for legislators, and to limit spending on the legislative
budget.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, to limit the legislative session, to reduce
salaries and expense allowances of members of the legislature, to
reduce compensation of state legislators who have absences from
legislative session, to prohibit state-paid retirement and health
care for legislators, and to limit spending on the legislative
budget, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted to the people of the
state:
ARTICLE IV
Sec. 12. The state officers compensation commission is created
which subject to this section shall determine the salaries and
expense
allowances of the members of the legislature, the governor,
the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of
state, and the justices of the supreme court. The commission shall
consist of 7 members appointed by the governor whose qualifications
may be determined by law. Subject to the legislature's ability to
amend the commission's determinations as provided in this section,
the commission shall determine the salaries and expense allowances
of
the members of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant
governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the
justices of the supreme court which determinations shall be the
salaries and expense allowances only if the legislature by
concurrent resolution adopted by a majority of the members elected
to and serving in each house of the legislature approve them. The
senate and house of representatives shall alternate on which house
of the legislature shall originate the concurrent resolution, with
the senate originating the first concurrent resolution.
The concurrent resolution may amend the salary and expense
determinations of the state officers compensation commission to
reduce the salary and expense determinations by the same proportion
for
members of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant
governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the
justices of the supreme court. The legislature shall not amend the
salary and expense determinations to reduce them to below the
salary
and expense level that members of the legislature, the
governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the
secretary of state, and the justices of the supreme court receive
on the date the salary and expense determinations are made. If the
salary and expense determinations are approved or amended as
provided in this section, the salary and expense determinations
shall become effective for the legislative session immediately
following the next general election. The commission shall meet each
2 years for no more than 15 session days. Expense allowances for
members of the legislature shall only be paid for reasonable and
actual expenses for transportation, lodging, and meals during the
periods that the legislature is in session. An individual who first
became a member of the legislature after 2008 shall not receive any
state-paid retirement or insurance benefits based on his or her
legislative service. The legislature shall implement this section
by law.
Sec. 13. Except when the legislature is called to convene on
extraordinary occasions, the legislature shall only meet as
provided in this section. The legislature shall meet at the seat of
government on the second Wednesday in January of each year at
twelve o'clock noon. Each regular session shall adjourn without
day, on a day determined by concurrent resolution, at twelve
o'clock noon. Any business, bill or joint resolution pending at the
final adjournment of a regular session held in an odd numbered year
shall carry over with the same status to the next regular session.
In 2009 and every year after 2009, the legislature shall meet for
not more than 90 consecutive days.
Sec. 55. The salary of a legislator who does not attend
session on any day the legislative body is in session shall be
reduced on a pro rata basis. The salary of a legislator shall not
exceed 25% of the per capita salary of a private sector full-time
Michigan worker as calculated by the federal government. If a
special session of the legislature is called, legislators may be
paid an additional per diem based on their base salary.
ARTICLE IX
Sec. 43. Beginning with the 2009-2010 state fiscal year, the
legislature shall not appropriate funds for the legislative budget
in any year that would result in that budget exceeding 1% of the
general fund/general purpose budget.
Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be
submitted to the people of the state at the next general election
in the manner provided by law.