MI HCR0048

Rejects the 3 percent compensation increase for civil service employees authorized by the Michigan Civil Service Commission for fiscal year 2010-2011, exercising the Legislature's constitutional authority under Article XI, Section 5 of the Michigan Constitution.

Requires a two-thirds vote of members elected and serving in each house for passage, as mandated by the Michigan Constitution.

Estimates the cost of the proposed salary increases at $77.3 million for the 2010-2011 budget.

Cites Michigan's economic hardship as justification, noting a $1.6 billion budget deficit, the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 14.6 percent as of December 2009, and loss of 831,500 jobs since 2000.

Compares state employee salaries (averaging $54,246 in 2009) to private sector employees (averaging $43,831), noting state workers earn 23 percent more despite economic conditions affecting private sector workers.