LANSING-Senator Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) introduced a Senate Resolution today that would mandate that all Senate caucus and member offices, regardless of party, should have the same overall compensation and expense levels. This proposal stands to save taxpayers $3 million by eliminating the current disparity in the budgets for Republican and Democratic Senators.

“As we find ourselves facing yet another large budget deficit, we should be looking at every way we can cut costs and verify that taxpayer money is being spent properly,” said Sen. Whitmer. “Individual Senate Republican office budgets are almost $100,000 more than those of Senate Democrats. This proposal would take the $3 million that the Senate Majority currently has in excess of the Minority and put it in the State’s General Fund to help turn our economy around and fund essential state services to help Michigan families.”

Under this resolution, all Senate offices, in the Majority or Minority, Democrat or Republican, will receive equal compensation and expense amounts. Each individual member’s office shall have the same number of benefit packages, and both caucus staffs should have the same level of overall compensation. Additionally, all information regarding the Senate’s compensation and expenses shall be made available to the public on the Senate’s website.

“With government spending and accountability making headlines around the country, taxpayers deserve to see how and where their money is being spent, including in the Senate,” said Whitmer. “By instituting this transparency, Michigan citizens will be able to see where their money is going, and in creating this equity amongst the parties, they can all feel that they’re being represented equally.”

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