LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Two Michigan House Democrats were elected to other offices last week, which will leave the chamber with 54 Democrats and 54 Republicans once both legislators have resigned.
House Republican Leader Matt Hall of Kalamazoo County Tuesday introduced a proposal to compel a bipartisan power-sharing agreement in the House of Representatives as the partisan makeup of the legislative chamber moves to a tie between Republicans and Democrats when they reconvene in January.
“Michiganders want their leaders to work together to make our state safe and successful,” Hall said. “The balance of power in the House of Representatives is a call to bipartisanship, and Michigan legislators on both sides of the aisle should answer the call and find common ground. We should start by crafting a bipartisan power-sharing agreement, and we can work together to get results for our state.
Hall’s resolution would require the House of Representatives to approve a power-sharing agreement if the House has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans at any time during the 102nd Legislature. The caucus leaders would negotiate an agreement, which would then require approval by a majority of representatives.
A power-sharing agreement could be ended at any time by a majority of the House in a record roll call vote.
Hall says he submitted the resolution Monday, but the current Speaker Joe Tate refused to read the resolution in during the final session Tuesday.
