September 10, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Agema, Haines, Lori, Paul Scott, Denby, Kowall, Tyler, Daley, Knollenberg, DeShazor, Meltzer, Meekhof, Hildenbrand, Elsenheimer, Pearce, Amash and Moore and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, by amending sections 13, 31, and 54 of
article IV, to limit the legislative session, to provide that
certain state budget bills be presented to the governor on or
before a certain date, and to modify term limits for certain
elected state offices.
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 provide
that certain state budget bills be presented to the governor on or
before a certain date, and to modify term limits for certain
elected state offices, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted to the
people of the state:
ARTICLE IV
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 2011 and every year after 2011, the legislature shall meet for
not more than 150 consecutive days or 5 months.
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 appropriation bills for the
succeeding fiscal period to the governor on or before June 15 of
each year.
Sec.
54. No person shall be elected to the office of serve as
a state representative more than three times. No
person shall be
elected
to the office of state senate more than two times or state
senator for a combined total of more than 16 years. Any person
appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in the house of
representatives
or the state senate for a period greater than one
half
of a term of such office, who
holds office for one day or more
within
a calendar year shall be considered to
have been elected to
serve
one time in that office served
the entire calendar year for
purposes
of this section. This limitation on the number of times
years a person shall be elected to may serve in office shall apply
to terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 1993. A person
is not eligible to serve as a state representative or state senator
unless that person is eligible to serve the entire term of that
office under this section.
This section shall be self-executing. Legislation may be
enacted to facilitate operation of this section, but no law shall
limit or restrict the application of this section. If any part of
this section is held to be invalid or unconstitutional, the
remaining parts of this section shall not be affected but will
remain in full force and effect.
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.