The petition drive for a part-time Michigan Legislature could jump a big hurdle today, June 21.
The State Board of Canvassers will meet at the Capitol to decide whether to OK the petition. It is only checking the petition forms to make sure they meet all legal requirements.
If it does, the next challenge will be getting the necessary 315,000 valid, voter signatures to qualify for next year's November ballot.
Lt. Governor Brian Calley is behind the push, which he's calling a way to clean up state government. Under the plan, lawmakers could meet for no more than 90 consecutive days. It would also cut their salaries in half.
Calley says that would open up the jobs to a lot more people.
"Because it does not require a person to abandon their career out there in the real world in order to have an opportunity to serve, my initiative will make the system more efficient; get in, get the important work done and go back home," Calley said when announcing the plan last month.
Democrats have criticized the initiative, saying if Calley thinks Lansing needs to be cleaned up, he should have done something about it in his six-plus years as Lieutenant Governor.
Board approval is not required to start circulating petitions, but ballot committees typically want that seal of approval since the signatures could be invalidated later on without it.
