South Michigan News

State Representative Andrew Fink has put forward a resolution aimed at ratifying a constitutional amendment to cap U.S. House districts at no more than 50,000 residents per district. The Congressional Apportionment Amendment, originally drafted by James Madison in 1789, was one of twelve proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution. While ten were ratified promptly by the states, this amendment was not.

If successful, Fink's resolution would position Michigan as a leader in the ratification process of the Constitutional Apportionment Amendment. This amendment aims to maintain smaller constituencies for U.S. House members as the population grows.

Historically, Congress increased the size of the House of Representatives every decade with each census until 1913. Since then, the House has remained fixed at 435 members for over a century, aside from minor deviations. Currently, Michigan's U.S. Representatives each represent over 750,000 residents.

Fink expressed concerns about this structure: "The nature of the people’s branch has been drastically diminished," he said. He emphasized that "the House was designed to be the body of government closest to the people," but now representatives are more focused on national fundraising efforts through cable news rather than addressing their constituents' needs.

He further stated that having fewer congressional districts distances lawmakers from citizen concerns and makes it challenging for outsiders to gain influence. "A larger body of representatives would also ensure that only lobbying efforts broadly supported by the people could succeed," Fink noted, highlighting how special interest groups currently wield significant power due to limited numbers in the House.

Michigan's potential ratification could be a significant step towards resolving these issues. The proposal, known as House Joint Resolution T, has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration.