Norman Kammeraad is a West Michigan business owner who chairs the Committee to Restore Michigan’s Part-Time Legislature. The group is calling for a two-month legislative session with salaries of $35,000.
Currently, the length of legislative sessions vary. It’s not uncommon for it to meet fewer than 100 days a year. Work is also done in the representative’s home districts. Legislators average around $80,000 in annual salary.
Kammeraad says the move would reduce the influence of lobbyists, force legislators to focus more on genuine public service and restore the aim of the original state constitution.
Critics point to a host of pitfalls, including giving too much authority to the Governor, bureaucrats and lobbyists, and severely reducing the pool of qualified candidates.
