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House rejects constitutional amendment to enforce July 1 budget deadline; proposal would have withheld pay
Summary
The Michigan House voted 70-30 to reject House Joint Resolution M, a proposed amendment to Article 4, Section 31 of the state constitution that would have withheld pay from elected officials if the annual budget was not passed by the July 1 deadline.
The Michigan House of Representatives on Aug. 21 voted 70-30 to reject House Joint Resolution M, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have imposed financial penalties on elected officials if the Legislature did not pass a full fiscal-year budget by the statutory July 1 deadline.
Representative Thompson, who introduced the joint resolution, said the measure was meant to create urgency and accountability in the state budget process. "If the governor of the state of Michigan does not sign a full budget for the hardworking taxpayers of the state of Michigan by the deadline, the taxpayers would not pay the governor's salary until that budget gets signed," Thompson said on the House floor. He also said legislators' pay would be withheld until the budget was passed.
Thompson framed the proposal as a remedy for repeated budget delays: "People are tired of playing games ... They need clarity, and they need accountability," he said. The joint resolution would have amended section 31 of article 4 of the Michigan Constitution of 1963, inserting a financial enforcement mechanism tied to the July 1 budget deadline.
A record roll call was required. When the clerk announced the tally, there were 70 votes in favor and 30 against; the chair noted that two-thirds of members elected and serving had not voted in favor, and therefore the joint resolution was not adopted. The clerk recorded several individual nay votes during the tally, including Representatives T. Carter, O'Neil, Skaggs and Breen.
The proposal reached third reading after expedited consideration but failed to meet the constitutional two-thirds threshold required to adopt a joint resolution that would change the state constitution. No further legislative steps to implement the specific withholding mechanism were recorded on the floor after the vote.
The House then adjourned until Aug. 26 at 1:30 p.m., according to the presiding majority floor leader.
The vote leaves unchanged the existing statutory July 1 budget deadline and does not alter current salary or enforcement rules absent subsequent action or legislation.
