September 8, 2011, Introduced by Rep. Farrington and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, by amending sections 12, 13, and 31 of
article IV, to reduce the salaries of members of the legislature,
to limit the legislative session, and to provide that certain state
budget bills are presented to the governor on or before a certain
date.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, to reduce the salaries of members of the
legislature, to limit the legislative session, and to provide that
certain state budget bills are presented to the governor on or
before a certain date, 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. Beginning
in 2013, the salary of each member of the legislature shall be 15%
of the salary of the governor.
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. The legislature shall
implement this section by law.
Sec.
13. The legislature shall meet at the seat of government
on
the second Wednesday in January of each year at twelve o'clock
noon.
Except when the legislature
is called to convene on
extraordinary occasions, the legislature shall only meet as
provided in this section. 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 2013 and every year after 2013, the legislature
shall only meet between January 1 and June 30.
Sec. 31. The general appropriation bills for the succeeding
fiscal period covering items set forth in the budget shall be
passed or rejected in either house of the legislature before that
house passes any appropriation bill for items not in the budget
except bills supplementing appropriations for the current fiscal
year's operation. Any bill requiring an appropriation to carry out
its purpose shall be considered an appropriation bill. One of the
general appropriation bills as passed by the legislature shall
contain an itemized statement of estimated revenue by major source
in each operating fund for the ensuing fiscal period, the total of
which shall not be less than the total of all appropriations made
from each fund in the general appropriation bills as passed. The
legislature shall present all general appropriations bills for the
succeeding fiscal period to the governor on or before June 15 of
each year.
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.