Proposal for Supermajority Votes in Michigan’s “Lame Duck” Sessions
State House Speaker Matt Hall has proposed a significant change to the legislative process in Michigan, suggesting an amendment to the state constitution that would require supermajority votes for the Legislature to adopt bills during “lame duck” sessions. These sessions, occurring after new lawmakers are elected but before they officially take office, have often been criticized for rushing through controversial legislation.
Focusing on Routine Issues
Hall emphasized that “lame duck” sessions should be used for routine matters rather than contentious issues that could benefit from more scrutiny. He believes that delaying controversial questions until after elections allows lawmakers to avoid immediate accountability from voters.
Ensuring Bipartisan Consensus
Under Hall’s proposed supermajority rule, any legislation moved after elections would require a two-thirds majority, promoting bipartisan consensus on important matters. This, according to Hall, would ensure that only issues with strong support from both sides of the aisle are passed during “lame duck” sessions.
Past Attempts and Current Resolution
While amending the state constitution to implement this change would be a significant undertaking, there is currently a resolution pending in the House to do just that. Former House Speaker Jason Wentworth had previously sponsored a similar resolution in 2021, which passed the state House but did not advance to a vote in the Senate.
For more information on the resolution to amend the Michigan Constitution for “lame duck” sessions, you can access the full text of the proposed resolution here.
