Michigan legislators could see a change in their legislative session schedule if the state moved to a part-time legislature, a proposal unveiled by Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley at the annual Detroit Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference held recently on Mackinac Island.

Calley expressed his full support of the proposed amendment to Michigan's constitution, which would include a cut to legislators' salary by almost half. If adopted, the amendment would call for a consecutive 90-day legislative session (at most), unless legislators were called into a special session by the governor. Legislators would receive an annual salary of $30,937, which is about equal to the average annual salary of a teacher. 

Currently, legislators make $71,685 annually and are in session anywhere between 80 (2016) and 100 (2015) days, depending on the issues at hand and whether it is an election year. The consecutive 90-day regulation would completely change how session is currently operated,  which Calley says is a necessary move.Those in opposition to the proposal claim by restricting legislative session days the executive office would have more oversight and would take power away from citizens. The proposal will need to garner 315,654 valid signatures to be qualified for placement on the ballot.

Noting the theme of his initiative as "Clean Michigan Government," Calley stopped short of announcing his gubernatorial run in 2018, but argued instead that his motivation in spearheading the part-time legislature movement is solely to "make the Michigan government much more effective and efficient."