The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Government reform proposal would cut state senate, house
By Sean Dalton, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: July 17, 2008
A petition to significantly reduce the size of Michigan's government will go to the Secretary of State's office after passing last week.
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The "Reform Michigan Government Now" proposal targets the Michigan Legislature, Supreme Court and appellate courts. Specifically, it would cut the House of Representatives from 110 to 82 members and the Senate from 38 to 28 members. The remaining legislators would still be full-time officials, but would see a reduction in pay.
"I believe this is something we should let the voters decide on," said Dianne Byrum, a former Michigan legislator and Democrat who is currently serving as spokeswoman for the petition drive.
She is currently a partner with East Lansing based Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications, which she founded with Mark Fisk, former communications director for the Michigan House Democratic Caucus.
The petition needed 380,000 signatures and ended up garnering 500,000. The state is currently in the middle of a 30-day review process that is mandatory before putting the initiative on the ballot in November.
Aside from headcount reductions in the legislature and pay-cuts for officials, the proposal entails a long list of changes to how the people serving in government and the courts are managed.
Retired legislators, judges, and the four statewide elected executive branch officials would receive the same retirement benefits as retired state employees, according to the proposal.
It would also enact a two-year lobbying ban on former legislators and members of the executive branch after they leave office.
Those affected would also have to disclose annual public income and assets.
A bipartisan panel would be appointed to set legislative districts, which was a point of concern for legislators in Washtenaw County.
"We need to examine the redistricting proposal carefully to make sure that it will not reduce representation of minorities in the legislature," said State Sen. Liz Brater, D-18th. "It is also important to maintain accessibility of elections to the legislature for women and minorities."
State Rep. Pam Byrnes, D-52nd, agrees with her colleague on the districting question.
"The concept of reducing the number of Representatives and Senators intrigues me, but if we were to go down that road, we would need to ensure that reducing the number of legislators would not adversely impact minority representation across the state or our ability to represent our constituents," she said.
Byrum says that the commission would be comprisd of four democrats and four republicans, with a "totally impartial" chairperson.
"We are truly going to have competitive races and that will give more accountability back to the general public," she said of the outcome if the proposal is passed.
The proposal would also reduce judicial salaries by 15 percent and those of statewide executive officials by 25 percent.
Other government reforms would be toughening disciplinary and conflict of interest requirements for those in the judiciary, reducing the cap on state government departments that is in the Michigan constitution from 20 to 18 (in addition to cutting many boards and commissions), and adding 10 judges to the circuit courts. The number of Supreme Court of Appeals judges would be taken down from 28 to 20.
The Bureau of Elections would also be made independent of partisanship, according to the proposal language.
No-reason absentee voting, requiring post-election audits of elections, paper trails for all voting systems, banning election official campaign roles and enacting anti-fraud measures for the state election process.
The proposal would even strengthen the ban on illegal alien voter registration and participation.
Both Byrnes and Brater admit that the proposal is daunting.
"This is a very complex proposal, and I am still reviewing the details," Brater said.
"I can see there are elements in this proposal that seem positive and include legislation I've been working on for years ... no reason absentee voting is one of these elements.
"Senator Gilda Jacobs and I recently held press conferences in both Lansing and Farmington Hills to reaffirm the value of providing convenient options to Michigan voters that fit their busy schedules. It's also a good idea to restore standing of Michigan citizens in lawsuits to protect the environment."
Byrnes says she also likes what she sees, but is still doing her homework on the nuances and ramifications of the proposal.
"I support the spirit of the Reform Michigan Government Now ballot proposal, which is reducing the size of government and cutting state spending," she said. "In fact, there are several aspects of the proposal that I am already on record as supporting."
House Democrats have already voted to cut salaries and to end lifetime health care for lawmakers, according to Byrnes.
"We have also voted to increase transparency by requiring elected officials to disclose their income and assets," she said. "All three of these reforms are still awaiting action in the Senate, and they would be addressed by this initiative.
"The proposal also allows for no-reason absentee voting, creates constitutionally mandated competitive districts, and encourages racially diverse juries. These are all aspects that merit a closer look at this plan."
Byrum charges that the proposal is needed now.
"Basically Michigan Government is not working for the people of Michigan," she said. "It's broken and it needs reform. Families have been tightening their belts and feel it's time that the Michigan legislature did the same."
Byrum says it will make government more accountable to the people, thus incentivizing it to function better.
She also said that the proposal does not prohibit future increases to pay, which would be handled as they always have been under the process outlined in the state constitution.
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