“Move over establishment, because the people of the state of Michigan are about to take the driver’s seat, join us.”
Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley announced Tuesday he’s leading the way to try and make Michigan’s legislature part time.
Calley has been teasing the announcement for about a month and Tuesday he followed through at the Mackinac Policy Conference.
He said he’s leading a ballot initiative to make the Michigan legislature work for no more than 90 days straight and drastically slash their pay.
9&10’s David Lyden was there for the announcement on Mackinac Island and brings us more details.
We’ve been on the island throughout the day and Calley only seemed to add to the intrigue of what could be next, but one thing is certain, if he’s running for governor, he just separated himself from the rest of the pack.
“We have come so far in recent years but now it’s time to take it to the next level, now it is time as you say to clean it up,” Calley said.
The message from Lt. Governor Calley is simple. Limit the legislature to 90 consecutive days, make their pay similar to that of teachers and eliminate the possibility of pensions and health insurance after their time in office.
“It will ensure that legislature spend the majority of their lives living under the laws they make. I could tell right away during my time in the legislature our system needed change,” Calley said.
The Lt. Governor is seeming to want to ride the momentum of frustration people feel towards Lansing, but wouldn’t say what he could be riding that towards.
“There hasn’t been somebody as good as grassroots as putting that together with the part time legislature in the past. Passionate support but lacks that statewide presence,” Calley said.
But for Democrats, Calley’s decision carries very little weight.
“At this point I think it’s really a distraction from what is really just failed leadership, whether it’s full time or part to if you don’t have the right priority you’re not going to be good for Michigan families,” Brandon Dillion, chair, Michigan Democratic Party said.
This announcement comes strategically at the start of the Detroit Regional Chamber Policy Conference, with plenty of politicians on the island.
“It does regard policy and this is a policy conference. Eventually we need our political leaders to develop and approve sound policy that’s going to move our state forward; we really embrace having them all here,” Tammy Canirke, COO, Detroit Regional Chamber said.
One more hint on what could be next for Calley, is on his website.
The message simply says come back June 1, so it appears the big announcements may not be done.
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