Michigan Legislature

Michigan Legislature
The Great Seal of the State of Michigan :: A.D. MDCCCXXXV
Type
Type
HousesSenate
House of Representatives
Term limits
12 years combined
History
FoundedJanuary 26, 1837
Preceded byMichigan Territorial Council
Leadership
Garlin Gilchrist (D)
since January 1, 2019
Joe Tate (D)
since January 11, 2023
Winnie Brinks (D)
since January 11, 2023
House Majority Floor Leader
Abraham Aiyash (D)
since January 11, 2023
Structure
Seats148
38 Senators
110 Representatives
Political groups
Majority
  •   Democratic (20)

Minority

Political groups
Majority

Minority

Length of term
Senate: 4 years
House: 2 years
AuthorityArticle IV, Michigan Constitution
Salary$71,685 salary/year + $10,800 per diem/year
Elections
Last election
November 8, 2022
Last election
November 8, 2022
Next election
November 3, 2026
Next election
November 5, 2024
RedistrictingIndependent redistricting commission
(as of December 14, 2018)[1]
Meeting place
Michigan State Capitol
Lansing
Website
legislature.mi.gov
Constitution
Constitution of Michigan

The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted.[2] The chief purposes of the Legislature are to enact new laws and amend or repeal existing laws. The Legislature meets in the Capitol building in Lansing.

The 102nd Michigan Legislature was sworn in on January 11, 2023.

Titles

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Members of the Senate are referred to as Senators and members of the House of Representatives are referred to as Representatives.[3]

Michigan Senate

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Main article: Michigan Senate

The Senate is the upper house of the Legislature. Its members are elected on a partisan basis for four-year terms, concurrent with the election of the Governor of Michigan.[3] The Senate consists of 38 members elected from single-member election districts[3] ranging from 212,400 to 263,500 residents according to the most recent creation of districts (2002). Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population figures through the federal decennial census. Senators' terms begin at noon on January 1 following their election. The Senate Chamber is located in the south wing of the State Capitol building. As of 2023, Democrats hold the majority in the Senate with 20 seats; Republicans hold the minority with 18 seats.[4] Under the Michigan Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan serves as President of the Senate, but may only cast a vote in the instance of a tie.[3] The Senate selects its other officers and adopts its own rules of procedure at the start of a new Legislative Session.

Michigan House of Representatives

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Main article: Michigan House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature. Its members are elected on a partisan basis for two-year terms, at the same time at which Representatives in U.S. Congress are chosen. The House of Representatives consists of 110 members who are elected from single-member election districts[3] ranging from 77,000 to 91,000 according to the most recent creation of districts (2012). Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population figures through the federal decennial census. Representatives' terms begin at noon on January 1 following their election. The House of Representatives Chamber in the State Capitol is located in the north wing of the State Capitol building. As of 2023, Democrats hold a majority of seats in the House of Representatives with 56, and Republicans hold 54 seats. The House of Representatives selects its own Speaker of the House and other officers and adopts its rules of procedure at the start of a new legislative session.[5]

Term limits

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In 1992, the Michigan public voted to enact term limits for the Michigan legislature.[6] In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not enact congressional term limits, but ruled that the state-level term limits remain.[citation needed] On November 8, 2022, voters approved Proposal 1, limiting state representatives and senators to 12 years combined in either chamber of the legislature, but senators re-elected in 2022 would remain eligible for their new terms even if it pushed them over the 12-year limit.[7]

Legislative session

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For reckoning periods of time during which the Legislature operates, each two-year period coinciding with the election of new members of the House of Representatives is numbered consecutively as a legislature, dating to the first legislature following adoption of Michigan's first constitution. The current two-year term of the legislature (January 11, 2023 – January 8, 2025) is the 102nd Legislature.

Each year during which the Legislature meets constitutes a new legislative session. According to Article IV Section 13 of the Michigan Constitution, a new session of the Legislature begins when the members of each house convene, on the second Wednesday of January every year at noon. A regular session of the Legislature typically lasts throughout the entire year with several periods of recess and adjourns sine die in late December.

The Michigan Legislature is one of ten full-time state legislative bodies in the United States.[8] Members receive a base salary of $71,685 per year, which makes them the fourth-highest paid legislators in the country, after California, Pennsylvania and New York. While legislators in many states receive per diems that make up for lower salaries, Michigan legislators receive $10,800 per year for session and interim expenses.[9] Salaries and expense allowances are determined by the State Officers Compensation Commission.[3]

Any legislation pending in either chamber at the end of a session that is not the end of a legislative term of office continues and carries over to the next Legislative Session.

Powers and process

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All bills published by the Michigan Legislature must have been distributed to the chambers at least five days before voting and must be subject to three readings. [10]

Leadership

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The House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker, while the Senate is headed by the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, who serves as President of the Senate but may only cast a vote in the instance of a tie.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gibbons, Lauren (November 7, 2018). "What the passage of Proposal 2 means for Michigan". MLive.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  2. ^ "State Constitution of Michigan Article IV Section I". Michigan Legislature.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Chapter 2: About State Government" (PDF). Michigan in Brief: 1998–99. Public Sector Consultants. 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2007.
  4. ^ "Michigan State Legislature". Ballotpedia.
  5. ^ "Citizen's Guide". Michigan House of Representatives.
  6. ^ "Constitutional Amendments" (PDF). Michigan Legislature.
  7. ^ DesOrmeau, Taylor (November 9, 2022). "Proposal 1: Voters pass plan to shorten term limits, require politicians to disclose finances". MLive. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "Full- and Part-Time Legislatures".
  9. ^ National Conference of State Legislatures
  10. ^ "Citizens Guide". Michigan House of Representatives.
  11. ^ "Michigan State Constitution - Article V, Section 25". Michigan Legislature.
  12. ^ "Senate Leadership". Michigan Senate.
  13. ^ "House Leadership". Michigan House of Representatives.
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42°44′01″N 84°33′20″W / 42.733601°N 84.555470°W / 42.733601; -84.555470

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