SENATE BILL NO. 1073

September 01, 2020, Introduced by Senator WOJNO and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

A bill to create the office of state poet laureate in the department of education; to provide for the appointment and term of certain state officers; to appoint certain poets laureate in different regions of this state; and to impose duties and responsibilities on certain state officers.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1. (1) The office of state poet laureate is created within the department of education and housed in the library of Michigan.

(2) The governor may appoint 4 state poets laureate for a term ending not later than when the governor leaves office. The governor shall appoint 4 state poets laureate, 1 for the Upper Peninsula, 1 for northern lower Michigan, 1 for southwest lower Michigan, and 1 for southeast lower Michigan, as determined by the governor. The state poets laureate shall serve at the pleasure of the governor and are exempt from the classified state civil service. Each of the 4 state poets laureate shall be a resident of this state.

(3) The state poets laureate shall serve without compensation. However, the state poets laureate may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as assigned by the governor.

(4) Subject to subsection (5), the office of state poet laureate shall not receive state or federal funds for its operations.

(5) The office of state poet laureate may receive donations of private funds to be used only for the operations of the office of state poet laureate.