Rep. Opsommer offered the following concurrent resolution:

            House Concurrent Resolution No. 53.

            A concurrent resolution to request the State Officers Compensation Commission to recommend a 10 percent legislative salary reduction and to endorse and follow certain performance-based pay structures.

            Whereas, Article IV, Section 12 of the state constitution of 1963 established the State Officers Compensation Commission (SOCC). The SOCC was established to 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. Section 3 of 1968 PA 357, as amended, provides that the commission shall meet for not more than 15 session days beginning after July 1 of every even-numbered year; and

            Whereas, In light of the need to make structural reforms to Michigan’s budget, we believe that, as elected leaders in state government, we have an obligation to restructure our pay rates. We request the State Officers Compensation Commission to recommend a 10 percent reduction in the salaries of the members of the Legislature the next time the commission meets in 2008; and

            Whereas, We also request that in the course of all future meetings that the SOCC limit any proposed increases to either the rate of inflation, or the average pay rate increase of other state of Michigan employees, whichever is lower; and

            Whereas, We also request the commission to endorse and follow any constitutional changes that would create a performance-based pay structure that provides for a pro-rata pay reduction for any days the legislative body is in session and a legislator does not attend session, except in the case of excused personal illness or the serious illness or death of a family member, with the monies transferred to the general fund; and

            Whereas, We also request the commission to endorse and follow any constitutional changes that would create a performance-based pay structure that provides that for any days past Labor Day for which an individual chamber has not passed from that chamber all bills necessary to provide for a balanced budget for the fiscal year that begins that October 1, all legislators of that chamber (or both chambers if neither has passed bills to balance the budget) shall have their salaries reduced on a pro-rata basis. The money not paid in salary for those days shall be transferred to the general fund; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we request the State Officers Compensation Commission to recommend a 10 percent reduction in the salaries of the members of the Legislature the next time the commission meets in 2008 and to endorse and follow the performance-based pay structures as outlined in this resolution and enacted into law; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to members of the State Officers Compensation Commission and the Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Service.