HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION M


     January 19, 2000, Introduced by Rep. Garcia and referred to the Committee on Constitutional Law and Ethics.


        A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state con-

   stitution of 1963, by amending sections 3 and 54 of article IV,

   to modify the terms of office and term limits for certain state

   offices.

        Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

   state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state con-

   stitution of 1963, to modify the terms of office and term limits

   for certain state offices, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted

   to the people of the state:

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                                  ARTICLE IV

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           Sec. 3.  The house of representatives shall consist of 110

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      members elected  for two-year terms  from single member districts

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      apportioned on a basis of population as provided in this

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      article.  The districts shall consist of compact and convenient

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      territory contiguous by land.  THROUGH TERMS OF OFFICE BEGINNING


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      BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2001, TERMS OF OFFICE SHALL BE FOR TWO YEARS.

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      FOR TERMS OF OFFICE BEGINNING ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2001, TERMS

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      OF OFFICE SHALL BE TWO YEARS EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THIS

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      SECTION.  IF A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS ELECTED

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      TO SERVE IN THE IMMEDIATELY SUCCEEDING TERM OF OFFICE, THAT TERM

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      OF OFFICE IS FOUR YEARS.  HOWEVER, A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REP-

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      RESENTATIVES SHALL NOT SERVE MORE THAN ONE FOUR-YEAR TERM.  IF A

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      MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS SERVING A FOUR-YEAR

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      TERM AND THAT MEMBER FILES TO RUN FOR THE SENATE OR ANY OTHER

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      STATE ELECTIVE OFFICE, THE FILING CONSTITUTES A RESIGNATION OF

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      OFFICE EFFECTIVE ON THE LAST DAY OF SESSION IN THAT CALENDAR

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      YEAR.

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           Each county which has a population of not less than

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      seven-tenths of one percent of the population of the state shall

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      constitute a separate representative area.  Each county having

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      less than seven-tenths of one percent of the population of the

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      state shall be combined with another county or counties to form a

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      representative area of not less than seven-tenths of one percent

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      of the population of the state.  Any county which is isolated

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      under the initial allocation as provided in this section shall be

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      joined with that contiguous representative area having the small-

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      est percentage of the state's population.  Each such representa-

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      tive area shall be entitled initially to one representative.

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           After the assignment of one representative to each of the

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      representative areas, the remaining house seats shall be appor-

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      tioned among the representative areas on the basis of population

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      by the method of equal proportions.



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           Any county comprising a representative area entitled to two

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      or more representatives shall be divided into single member rep-

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      resentative districts as follows:

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           (1) The population of such districts shall be as nearly

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      equal as possible but shall not be less than 75 percent nor more

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      than 125 percent of a number determined by dividing the popula-

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      tion of the representative area by the number of representatives

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      to which it is entitled.

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           (2) Such single member districts shall follow city and town-

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      ship boundaries where applicable and shall be composed of compact

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      and contiguous territory as nearly square in shape as possible.

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           Any representative area consisting of more than one county,

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      entitled to more than one representative, shall be divided into

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      single member districts as equal as possible in population,

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      adhering to county lines.

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           Sec. 54.  No  THROUGH TERMS OF OFFICE BEGINNING BEFORE

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      JANUARY 1, 2001, NO person shall be elected to the office of

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      state representative more than three times.  FOR TERMS OF OFFICE

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      BEGINNING ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2001, NO PERSON SHALL BE ELECTED

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      TO THE OFFICE OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE MORE THAN FOUR TIMES OR

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      THREE TIMES IF THAT PERSON SERVED A TERM OF OFFICE OF FOUR YEARS.

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      No person shall be elected to the office of state senate more

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      than two times.  Any person appointed or elected to fill a

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      vacancy in the house of representatives or the state senate for a

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      period greater than one half of a term of such office, shall be

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      considered to have been elected to serve one time in that office

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      for purposes of this section.  This limitation on the number of



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      times a person shall be elected to office shall apply to terms of

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      office beginning on or after January 1, 1993.

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           This section shall be self-executing.  Legislation may be

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      enacted to facilitate operation of this section, but no law shall

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      limit or restrict the application of this section.  If any part

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      of this section is held to be invalid or unconstitutional, the

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      remaining parts of this section shall not be affected but will

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      remain in full force and effect.

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           Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be sub-

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      mitted to the people of the state at the next general election in

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      the manner provided by law.


































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