Article IV, Legislative Branch

History: Abrogated. Init., approved Nov. 6, 2018, Eff. Dec. 22, 2018.

Sec 6. (1) An independent citizens redistricting commission for state legislative and congressional districts (hereinafter, the “commission”) is hereby established as a permanent commission in the legislative branch. The commission shall consist of 13 commissioners. The commissio…

Each senator and representative must be a citizen of the United States, at least 21 years of age, and an elector of the district he represents. The removal of his domicile from the district shall be deemed a vacation of the office. No person who has been convicted of subversion o…

No person holding any office, employment or position under the United States or this state or a political subdivision thereof, except notaries public and members of the armed forces reserve, may be a member of either house of the legislature. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 8, E…

No person elected to the legislature shall receive any civil appointment within this state from the governor, except notaries public, from the legislature, or from any other state authority, during the term for which he is elected. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 9, Eff. Jan. 1,…

(1) No member of the legislature nor any state officer shall be interested directly or indirectly in any contract with the state or any political subdivision thereof which shall cause a substantial conflict of interest. (2) By April 15, 2024, and by a date each year thereafter as…

Except as provided by law, senators and representatives shall be privileged from civil arrest and civil process during sessions of the legislature and for five days next before the commencement and after the termination thereof. They shall not be questioned in any other place for…

The state officers compensation commission is created which subject to this section shall determine the salaries and expense allowances of the members of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the justices of the …

The legislature shall meet at the seat of government on the second Wednesday in January of each year at twelve o’clock noon. Each regular session shall adjourn without day, on a day determined by concurrent resolution, at twelve o’clock noon. Any business, bill or joint resolutio…

A majority of the members elected to and serving in each house shall constitute a quorum to do business. A smaller number in each house may adjourn from day to day, and may compel the attendance of absent members in the manner and with penalties as each house may prescribe. Histo…

There shall be a bi-partisan legislative council consisting of legislators appointed in the manner prescribed by law. The legislature shall appropriate funds for the council’s operations and provide for its staff which shall maintain bill drafting, research and other services for…

Each house, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, shall choose its own officers and determine the rules of its proceedings, but shall not adopt any rule that will prevent a majority of the members elected thereto and serving therein from discharging a committee from …

Each house of the legislature may establish the committees necessary for the efficient conduct of its business and the legislature may create joint committees. On all actions on bills and resolutions in each committee, names and votes of members shall be recorded. Such vote shall…

Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and publish the same unless the public security otherwise requires. The record of the vote and name of the members of either house voting on any question shall be entered in the journal at the request of one-fifth of the members…

All elections in either house or in joint convention and all votes on appointments submitted to the senate for advice and consent shall be published by vote and name in the journal. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 19, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art.…

The doors of each house shall be open unless the public security otherwise requires. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 20, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V, § 18.

Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than two intervening calendar days, nor to any place other than where the legislature may then be in session. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 21, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art.…

All legislation shall be by bill and may originate in either house. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 22, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V, § 19.

The style of the laws shall be: The People of the State of Michigan enact. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 23, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V, § 20.

No law shall embrace more than one object, which shall be expressed in its title. No bill shall be altered or amended on its passage through either house so as to change its original purpose as determined by its total content and not alone by its title. History: Const. 1963, Art.…

No law shall be revised, altered or amended by reference to its title only. The section or sections of the act altered or amended shall be re-enacted and published at length. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 25, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V, § 2…

No bill shall be passed or become a law at any regular session of the legislature until it has been printed or reproduced and in the possession of each house for at least five days. Every bill shall be read three times in each house before the final passage thereof. No bill shall…

No act shall take effect until the expiration of 90 days from the end of the session at which it was passed, but the legislature may give immediate effect to acts by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to and serving in each house. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 27, Eff. J…

When the legislature is convened on extraordinary occasions in special session no bill shall be passed on any subjects other than those expressly stated in the governor’s proclamation or submitted by special message. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 28, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former …

The legislature shall pass no local or special act in any case where a general act can be made applicable, and whether a general act can be made applicable shall be a judicial question. No local or special act shall take effect until approved by two-thirds of the members elected …

The assent of two-thirds of the members elected to and serving in each house of the legislature shall be required for the appropriation of public money or property for local or private purposes. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 30, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Cons…

The general appropriation bills for the succeeding fiscal period covering items set forth in the budget shall be passed or rejected in either house of the legislature before that house passes any appropriation bill for items not in the budget except bills supplementing appropriat…

Every law which imposes, continues or revives a tax shall distinctly state the tax. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 32, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. X, § 6.

Every bill passed by the legislature shall be presented to the governor before it becomes law, and the governor shall have 14 days measured in hours and minutes from the time of presentation in which to consider it. If he approves, he shall within that time sign and file it with …

Any bill passed by the legislature and approved by the governor, except a bill appropriating money, may provide that it will not become law unless approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 34, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: S…

All laws enacted at any session of the legislature shall be published in book form within 60 days after final adjournment of the session, and shall be distributed in the manner provided by law. The prompt publication of judicial decisions shall be provided by law. All laws and ju…

No general revision of the laws shall be made. The legislature may provide for a compilation of the laws in force, arranged without alteration, under appropriate heads and titles. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 36, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V…

The legislature may by concurrent resolution empower a joint committee of the legislature, acting between sessions, to suspend any rule or regulation promulgated by an administrative agency subsequent to the adjournment of the last preceding regular legislative session. Such susp…

The legislature may provide by law the cases in which any office shall be vacant and the manner of filling vacancies where no provision is made in this constitution. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 38, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. XVI, § 5.

In order to insure continuity of state and local governmental operations in periods of emergency only, resulting from disasters occurring in this state caused by enemy attack on the United States, the legislature may provide by law for prompt and temporary succession to the power…

A person shall not sell or give any alcoholic beverage to any person who has not reached the age of 21 years. A person who has not reached the age of 21 years shall not possess any alcoholic beverage for the purpose of personal consumption. An alcoholic beverage is any beverage c…

The legislature may authorize lotteries and permit the sale of lottery tickets in the manner provided by law. No law enacted after January 1, 2004, that authorizes any form of gambling shall be effective, nor after January 1, 2004, shall any new state lottery games utilizing tabl…

The legislature may provide for the incorporation of ports and port districts, and confer power and authority upon them to engage in work of internal improvements in connection therewith. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 42, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908…

No general law providing for the incorporation of trust companies or corporations for banking purposes, or regulating the business thereof, shall be enacted, amended or repealed except by a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to and serving in each house. History: Const. 19…

The legislature may authorize a trial by a jury of less than 12 jurors in civil cases. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 44, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V, § 27.

The legislature may provide for indeterminate sentences as punishment for crime and for the detention and release of persons imprisoned or detained under such sentences. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 45, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V, § 28.

No law shall be enacted providing for the penalty of death. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 46, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964.

The legislature may authorize the employment of chaplains in state institutions of detention or confinement. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 47, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V, § 26.

The legislature may enact laws providing for the resolution of disputes concerning public employees, except those in the state classified civil service. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 48, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. XVI, § 7.

The legislature may enact laws relative to the hours and conditions of employment. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 49, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964. Former Constitution: See Const. 1908, Art. V, § 29.

The legislature may provide safety measures and regulate the use of atomic energy and forms of energy developed in the future, having in view the general welfare of the people of this state. History: Const. 1963, Art. IV, § 50, Eff. Jan. 1, 1964.