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Not surprisingly in tough budget times, the Michigan legislature is highly unpopular with the public. Voters there will decide on a ballot initiative this year ...

Not surprisingly in tough budget times, the Michigan legislature is highly unpopular with the public. Voters there will decide on a ballot initiative this year to turn the body from a full-time to a part-time operation.

The Lansing State Journal opposes the initiative, saying that "Michigan's issues are complex; they require lawmakers who can focus on them all the time." But the paper has been running a series of tough editorials in recent days, arguing that legislative expenses are too high, that its staffers are too numerous and too partisan, and that its agenda and calendar are out of control.

Alan Greenblatt is the editor of Governing. He can be found on Twitter at @AlanGreenblatt.