November 5, 2008, Introduced by Senators THOMAS, SCHAUER, JACOBS, BRATER, BARCIA, CLARKE, SWITALSKI, GLEASON, BASHAM, SCOTT, CLARK-COLEMAN and HUNTER and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, by amending sections 26 and 31 of article IV,
to provide for a fiscal analysis of each bill introduced in the
legislature and to require spending cuts or increased revenues for
any bill determined to have a negative impact on state revenues.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, to provide for a fiscal analysis of each bill
introduced in the legislature and to require spending cuts or
increased revenues for any bill determined to have a negative
impact on state revenues, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted to
the people of the state:
ARTICLE IV
Sec. 26. (1) No bill shall be passed or become a law at any
regular session of the legislature until it has been printed or
reproduced and in the possession of each house for at least five
days. Every bill shall be read three times in each house before the
final passage thereof. No bill shall become a law without the
concurrence of a majority of the members elected to and serving in
each house. On the final passage of bills, the votes and names of
the members voting thereon shall be entered in the journal.
(2) Upon the introduction of a bill in the senate or the
house, the senate or house fiscal agency shall prepare a fiscal
impact analysis for that bill for the members of that house. Except
as otherwise provided in subsection (3), if the fiscal impact
analysis determines that the bill will have a negative impact on
any revenues to this state, the bill shall not become law unless
another bill is enacted to reduce state spending or increase state
revenues.
(3) The legislature may lower the rate of the income tax, the
Michigan business tax, or the sales tax without identifying
spending reductions as long as all taxpayers receive the benefit of
that lower rate.
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
total expenditures for all appropriation bills each fiscal year
shall not exceed the revenues available for that fiscal year.
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.