LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Just six bills have been signed into law as of July 15 this year, and that is the fewest since 1940 when the state legislature did not meet at all.
Lawmakers would meet every other year back then, and that ended in 1952.
The legislature did meet in even years from 1942 to 1950 for a few weeks in a special session and passed 43 bills a year by July 15 on average.
This year, the state House is controlled by a Republican majority, while the state Senate has a Democratic majority. The two chambers have not agreed on much.
Talks between Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks of Grand Rapids, and Republican House Speaker Matt Hall of Richland have happened, but no significant progress has been reported.
Ballenger Report editor and former state lawmaker Bill Ballenger calls it “staggering” and says “it speaks to a real dysfunction that’s, quite frankly, depressing.”
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