Lt. Gov. Brian Calley in his political ad.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley
Detroit News editorial page editor Nolan Finley rips into Michigan's lieutenant governor for proposing that state lawmakers work only part-time, a move he calls a "stunt:"
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley couldn’t be more wrong with his ballot initiative to make the state Legislature part-time.
Calley was looking for something to elevate him in the fledgling gubernatorial race, should he get in. But instead he risks screwing up an opportunity to bring true governing reform to Michigan.
Calley’s announcement of his petition drive was an epic flop, coming as it did during the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference after a month-long build up to what was expected to be his bid for governor.
That never came. Instead, Calley, with cameras rolling, made the much less newsworthy call for a part-time Legislature, a move that would put Michigan in line with 40 other states.
Finely is all for cutting lawmakers' hours and pay, but adds:
Without easing Michigan’s strict term limits, passage of Calley’s part-time proposal would make a dysfunctional Legislature even more inept.
The true problem in Lansing is that the Capitol is stocked with amateurs who not only lack political experience but don’t know much about the world. With each new session, the legislative chambers look more like college dorms.
Calley soon is expected to announce his 2018 campaign for the governor's job.
