Michigan lawmakers are joining calls for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, the state Senate gave final approval to the resolution Wednesday on a party-line vote.
This makes Michigan at least the 18th state to formally ask Congress to call a constitutional convention to consider the amendment. It would require Washington to balance its books every year.
Republican state Senator Mike Green says he hopes 34 total states will pass similar resolutions, which would compel Congress to call the convention. He says that would set an important precedent.
“There’s a lot of things that can be changed in Washington if we have the guts to go through this process,” he says.
Governor Rick Snyder indicated support for the resolution in his State of the State address earlier this year. It does not need to be approved by the governor.