03/18/2008
CONTACT: Charles Owens, 517-485-3409 or 517-282-2052 (cell)
or Jason Brewer, 202-406-4435
LANSING, Mich. -- A new state-wide poll commissioned by Michigan's leading small business association reveals that if a part-time legislature proposal were put in front of the voters today, it would pass by a strong margin. The poll was sponsored by the National Federation of Independent Business and conducted by Marketing Resource Group, a national public opinion research firm based in Michigan.
When presented with details of the proposal and asked if they would vote yes or no, 70 percent of voters indicated that they would support the part-time proposal that would also eliminate term limits.
"I think voters perceive that a part-time legislature is a fair swap for eliminating term limits," said NFIB/Michigan State Director Charles Owens. "Voters are recognizing that a part-time legislature is more likely to bring benefits that term limits have failed to deliver."
Owens suggested that voters want the Legislature to do the people's basic business of balancing the budget on time and not much more. Last year's protracted budget battle and government shut down made many question what exactly legislators were spending so much time on in Lansing.
"The perception is that lawmakers are spending a lot of time on low-priority issues while waiting until the last minute to do the important and basic functions expected of them," said Owens. "A part-time legislature forces lawmakers to prioritize issues and their time."
NFIB announced last week that it was joining forces with the Turn Michigan Around Coalition, a ballot initiative committee seeking to put a part-time legislature proposal before the voters in November 2008. The committee is also supported by the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Homebuilders Association of Greater Kalamazoo and a grassroots network of citizens represented by the ballot initiative committee Reform Michigan Government.
The poll was conducted the week of March 10 and consisted of a random sample of 600 likely voters in Michigan. The survey's statistical margin of error can be reliably set at plus or minus 4.1 percent or less within a 95 percent degree of confidence.
