The
Michigan House of Representatives, together with the Michigan Senate,
comprise Michigan's full-time legislature.
The House of Representatives consists of 110 Members who are elected
by the qualified electors of districts having approximately 77,000 to
91,000 residents. Representatives are elected in even-numbered years
to 2-year terms. Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population
figures through the federal decennial census.
The primary purpose of the Legislature is to enact new laws and amend
or repeal existing laws. During their two-year tenure, Representatives
will introduce, and vote on, over 4,000 bills. An estimated 600 to 800
of these will become law. Legislators and legislative committees spend
many hours of work on each bill before the bill is sent to the House
floor for consideration.
The presiding officer of the House is called the Speaker. The Speaker
is a current member of, and is elected by, the House of Representatives.
Currently, Democrats are in the majority and Representative
Andy Dillon is speaker of the House. The Speaker Pro Tempore and
Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore, are also elected by, and from, the House
members. They preside when the Speaker is absent or wishes to participate
in debate on the House floor.
House sessions are open to the public and are normally held on Tuesdays
and Wednesdays at 1:30 PM and on Thursdays at 12:00 PM. On occasion,
the House also convenes on Mondays and Fridays. The daily proceedings
of the House are published in the House
Journal. In addition, the records of committee actions on all bills
and resolutions are available for public inspection. The Michigan
Legislature web site is an excellent resource for citizens to use
regarding past and current legislation.
Representatives in the majority and minority leadership positions have
offices in the Capitol building. All other Members and staff of the House
of Representatives are located in the Anderson House Office Building,
directly across the street from the Capitol at 124 N. Capitol Ave. |
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Michigan's
Legislature is a sovereign and independent branch of state government
vested with the power to enact laws by which the actions of the government
and the people are regulated and protected.
The first Michigan Legislature, consisting of 16 Senators and 50 Representatives,
met in the first Capitol in Detroit, which served as our state's capital
city until 1847, when it was moved permanently to Lansing. Today's
Legislature consists of 148 members: 110 State Representatives and
38 Senators, sent to Lansing by the voters of their separate districts.
These men and women share an important trust and responsibility as
expressed by one of the fundamental provisions of the Michigan
Constitution of 1963:
The public health and general welfare of the people
of the state are hereby declared to be matters of primary
public concern. The Legislature shall pass suitable laws
for the protection and promotion of the public health.
The direct link between the people and their legislators is reflected
in the declaration at the head of every law, which reads:
The People of the State of Michigan enact...
The Michigan Legislature convenes in an annual session at noon on the
second Wednesday in January of each year. Each session continues until
the members agree to adjourn sine die (without day), subject to interim
recesses. Special sessions of the Legislature may be called by the
Governor but are limited to the consideration of subjects the Governor
places before the Legislature.
The Legislature is apportioned every ten years after the official total
population count of each federal census so that each Representative
and Senatorial district has as nearly equal population as possible.
Based on the 1990 census, each of the 110 State Representative districts
has approximately 85,000 residents and each Senate district has approximately
245,000 residents.
Except for certain criminal convictions, any person 21 years of age
or older who is a United States citizen and a registered voter in the
district to be represented can be elected to either the State House
or Senate. However, a legislator can hold no other public office except
notary public. In addition, an amendment to the constitution adopted
by the voters limits State Representatives to three terms (six years)
in the House of Representatives and State Senators to two terms (eight
years) in the Michigan Senate.
The present Capitol was
formally opened on January 1, 1879. This magnificent structure, which
was rededicated on November 19, 1992 has been restored to the splendor
of its original condition. The Legislature consists of two chambers.
The Senate Chamber is located in the south wing of the second floor
and the House Chamber is in the north wing of the second floor. Both
chambers are equipped with a public address system and an electronic
voting system to record votes. The floors of the chambers are not open
to the public during legislative sessions, but visitors are welcome
to view the sessions from the third floor balconies that overlook the
chambers.
The presiding officer of the House is called the Speaker (elected from,
and a member of, the House of Representatives). The Speaker Pro Tempore
and Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore, who are also elected from and by
House members, preside when the Speaker is absent or wishes to participate
in debate. The Constitution provides that the Lieutenant Governor shall
be the President of the Senate, but shall not have a vote unless the
votes are equally divided. The Senate elects a President Pro Tempore,
an Assistant President Pro Tempore, an Associate President Pro Tempore,
and an Assistant Associate President Pro Tempore from its membership.
The House sessions are normally held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at
1:30 PM and on Thursdays at 12:00 PM. Senate sessions normally begin
at 10:00 AM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. In addition, both
chambers, on occasion, convene on Mondays and Fridays.
The proceedings of each day's work are published in the Journals of
both chamber. In addition, the records of committee action on all bills
and resolutions are available for public inspection: Committee
Bill Records.
To make certain that every member has the opportunity to become acquainted
with legislation, bills in the regular sessions must be printed or
reproduced and in the possession of each chamber for at least five
days before they can be passed. Each bill must be read three times
before it can be passed. The final vote on each bill is recorded in
the Journals.
All laws must be published in their original words and be made available
to the public within 60 days of the adjournment of each regular session.
During a two-year session, the Legislature will introduce approximate
4,000 bills, of which 600 to 800 will become law. Proper consideration
of the bills requires organization, time and hard work. Legislators
and legislative committees spend many hours of work on each bill before
the bill is sent to the floor of either chamber for consideration.
The floor debate on a bill, seen by a visitor, is only one of the stages
of the legislative process.
The people can force the enactment of laws, or reject some laws passed
by the Legislature, through the process of petition, submitted to the
electorate at the next general election or special election as set
forth by the Legislature:
(1) The INITIAL petition, requiring 247,127* signatures
of registered voters, is used to propose laws and to enact
or reject laws.
(2) The REFERENDUM petition, requiring 151,356* signatures of registered
voters, is used to approve or reject laws enacted by the Legislature.
(3) The CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, requiring 302,700* signatures of
registered voters, is used to amend the Michigan Constitution.
*In each case, a percentage of the total vote
cast for all candidates for Governor at the last preceding
general election at which a Governor was elected: (1) 8%,
(2) 5%, and (3) 10%. | |
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A
free service of the Michigan Legislative Council, the Michigan
House of Representatives, and the Michigan Senate. You can search
current and past legislative documents, including bills, resolutions
and journals. |
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The
Michigan Manual |
The Michigan
Manual is published biennially by the Legislative Service
Bureau. As the State's official manual, it contains fundamental
reference information about Michigan -- its history, constitutional
development, government organization and institutions. The
contents of the book are divided into the following ten chapters:
Michigan History; Michigan's Constitutions; The Legislative
Branch; The Executive Branch; The Judicial Branch; Michigan's
Congressional Delegation; Institutes of Higher Education; Local
Government; Elections; and General Information/Statistics. |
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A
Citizen's Guide to State Government |
Published
by the Michigan Legislature, the intent of the Citizen's
Guide is to provide some of the specific information needed
to get in touch with the right people at the right time to make
your concerns heard. It can be used as a reference tool that
will assist you in your efforts to be heard by public officials. |
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How
a Bill Becomes a Law |
The
State of Michigan's web page that details the major steps of
the legislative process that a bill must go through before it
is enacted into law. |
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How
Committees Work |
Introductory
overview of a committee's responsibilities when a bill or resolution
is first introduced in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
This page also provides guidelines to assist citizens who are
preparing for testifying in front of a committee. |
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House
Rules |
Standing
rules of the House of Representatives in accordance with the
Michigan Constitution, Article IV, Section 16. |
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Joint Rules |
Joint Rules govern how the House of Representatives and the Senate resolve differences in legislation and other interactions between the two chambers. |
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State
House District Maps |
Adobe
PDF map of the 110 state House districts which allows you to
click on a specific area of Michigan to get the individual district
map of interest. |
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State
Senate District Maps |
Adobe
PDF map of the 38 state Senate districts which allows you to
click on a specific area of Michigan to get the individual district
map of interest. |
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State
Congressional District Maps |
Adobe
PDF map of the 15 state Congressional districts which allows
you to click on a specific area of Michigan to get the individual
district map of interest. |
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House
Chamber Seating Chart |
Adobe
PDF seating chart map of where each of the 110 elected state
Representatives sit in the House chamber during session. |
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House Session Schedule |
Annual
calendar of legislative session meeting dates and times for the
Michigan House of Representatives. This is an Adobe PDF file. |
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Legislative
Session Calendars |
Published
by the Michigan Legislature, the Legislative Calendars lists
bills, resolutions and other business items to be considered
by the House or Senate. The calendars are published for each
session day, and items are considered in the order listed unless
changes are made during a session. The calendar also contains
a list of future committee meetings and public hearings. The
Michigan Legislature publishes the lastest and past calendars
for the House of Representatives and the Senate. |
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Our
State Capitol |
Discover
the history behind the Michigan Capitol building or take a look
at recent scheduled events at the Capitol and find out the visiting
hours. Other feature services include information about scheduling
a tour; location, parking and lunch; planning a Capitol event;
and guided tour information. |
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State
Web Sites |
A
listing of various Michigan legislative and departmental web
sites of citizens' interests, including the: Executive Branch;
Executive Branch -- Agencies, Boards & Commissions; Legislative
Branch; and the Judicial Branch. |
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MI
Kids' Page |
The
State of Michigan's web page created for Michigan kids of all
ages. Learn about our state symbols with a multiple choice game,
make a corn husk doll, see pictures of the Mackinac Bridge from
a bird's eye view, learn how a bill becomes a law, take trips
to state museums right from your own computer, and more! |
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