Senate adopts George resolution to fix the budgeting process
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
LANSING--The state Senate adopted a resolution today that will help ensure that the Michigan House and Senate each pass balanced budgets in a timely manner, said resolution sponsor Sen. Tom George.
“The state constitution requires that the Legislature pass a balanced budget, yet for the second time in three years the Senate is in negotiations with a chamber--the House--that has failed to meet this constitutional standard,” said George, R-Kalamazoo.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 21 would require each chamber of the Legislature to adopt by June 1 a resolution matching its proposed expenditures with the required revenue sources.
The resolution states in part, “If either house of the Legislature relies on higher revenues than those determined at the immediately preceding revenue estimating conference, that house’s resolution shall detail how those revenues will be increased.”
George introduced his resolution in part because he said “the budgeting process is broken.” He cited Article IV, Section 31 of the state constitution, which says, “One of the general appropriation bills as passed by the Legislature shall contain an itemized statement of estimated revenue by major source … the total of which shall not be less than the total of all appropriations made.”
George argued that the House has ignored the constitution’s intent by passing budgets that exceed available revenue and failing to identify new revenue sources.
“Forcing each chamber of the Legislature to identify its proposed spending reductions or revenue increases in a timely fashion makes the process more transparent, allows local governments and schools to plan ahead, and means a government shutdown would be less likely,” said George.
SCR 21 now heads to the Michigan House for consideration.
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