“Michigan voters will finally be allowed to bring transparency to the current system and give our citizens a stronger voice in our Legislature. “It is gratifying that nearly all of my colleagues now agree that this reform is badly needed,” said Rep. Until now, the leaders of neither political party would tackle the issue.” I commend House Speaker Jason Wentworth for championing this reform. “I have had more discussions than I care to count with legislators of both parties, urging them to support this reform. “To have such overwhelming support from colleagues on both sides of the aisle is a major victory for the people of Michigan,” Howell said. Now beginning his sixth year in the House, Howell has introduced resolutions every term addressing the blatant lame duck abuses that have continued for decades. The resolution prioritizes accountability and gives legislators the opportunity to address and properly vet bills before voting on them. This reform measure will allow for more transparency and fewer hyper-partisan votes. The Legislature frequently chooses the lame duck period as a time to pass controversial bills on a party-line or special interest basis. It has long been unconciousable to hold lawmakers in session into the wee hours of the morning during lame duck to try and bludgeon them into voting in favor of the pet legislation for some lobbyist.” The adoption of this joint resolution represents major progress on something I have been working towards for the past five years. “It was then that I first took notice of the way business was conducted after elections, with freshly-printed bills still wet with ink and members voting on gargantuan proposals that no one had time to read. “I began championing this issue when I was first elected to the Legislature,” said Rep. The resolution would require a two-thirds majority for the passage of any bills during a “lame duck” session-the period after a November election and before the end of the legislative term on December 31 st. Gary Howell (R-North Branch) has commended the overwhelming passage of a House Joint Resolution on Wednesday which would amend Michigan’s Constitution. Howell’s campaign to drastically limit lame duck shenanigans gains major support in House of Representatives
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |