State Senate Won't Allow Governor to Make Them Stay

Source: WLNS.com

State Senate Won't Allow Governor to Make Them Stay

June 28, 2007 06:59 AM CDT

State senate republicans say they won't be forced into session. GOP senators were worried democrats would show up for work during next weeks' scheduled vacation, keeping the senate at work. Using their majority vote, republicans passed a rule change preventing a forced session. The move follows Governor Granholm's statement that lawmakers should stay in session if they didn't reach some agreement on budget resolutions.

Read more: http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=6721539&nav=menu25_2

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Senate GOP rule change keeps Democrats from ordering them in
6/27/2007, 6:11 p.m. EDT
By DAVID EGGERT
The Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Republicans who control the Michigan Senate on Wednesday passed a rule change aimed at preventing Democrats from forcing them into session over a scheduled two-week summer break.

The move came after Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Tuesday that lawmakers should not go on vacation next week without resolving big pieces of state government's budget that starts Oct. 1.

There is speculation that the governor could try to call a special session of the Legislature if legislators left without addressing a potential $1.6 billion shortfall.

There also is a mechanism known as a call of the Senate, in which legislative leaders can lock lawmakers in the chamber and dispatch state troopers to arrest absent legislators.

More:
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/news-45/1182967773158040.xml&storylist=newsmichigan