State Rep. TC Clements and the Michigan Legislature today approved a plan to allow Michigan voters to consider establishing financial transparency requirements for state elected officials.

House Joint Resolution R, which proposes an amendment to the state Constitution, would also let voters consider reforming Michigan’s term limits, reducing the total time any person may serve in the Legislature.

“Our government should always answer to the people of Michigan, and this proposal will allow the people to contemplate how the state can best serve them,” said Clements, R-Temperance. “My neighbors will consider requiring public servants to disclose their finances, and they will evaluate the best form of term limits for state legislators. I voted for this joint resolution so that this decision is in the hands of Michigan voters.”

If adopted by Michigan voters, the new constitutional provision would annually require the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and members of the Legislature to disclose their current finances, including: assets, liabilities, sources of income, positions held with third-party organizations, gifts from lobbyists, and certain active employment agreements.

Michigan’s current term limits allow a person to serve up to three two-year terms as a state representative and two four-year terms as a state senator — a total of 14 years in the Legislature. The proposed amendment would reduce this total to allow only up to 12 total years in the Legislature, enabling a person to serve the tightened limit in the House or Senate, or a combination of the two.

The change would also count any partial term toward the total limit; currently, partial terms only count toward the limit if a legislator serves at least half of the two-year or four-year term.

The proposal received two-thirds support in both the House and Senate, and it will be placed on the November general election ballot for a vote of the people.

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