pt. 1. The history of the Michigan Constitution. The Michigan Constitution in a comparative perspective ; Constitutional beginnings ; Constitutional revision: 1850 ; In the wake of the Civil War ; Constitutional change for the twentieth century ; The introduction of direct democracy ; Amendments to the Constitution of 1908 ; Attempts at revision ; 1961-1962 Constitutional convention ; The Michigan Constitution of 1963.

pt. 2. The Michigan Constitution and commentary. Preamble -- Article I. The Declaration Of Rights : Section 1. Political power ; Section 2. Equal protection; discrimination ; Section 3. Assembly, consultation, instruction, petition ; Section 4. Freedom of worship and religious belief; appropriations ; Section 5. Freedom of speech and of press ; Section 6. Bearing of arms ; Section 7. Military power subordinate to civil power ; Section 8. Quartering of soldiers ; Section 9. Slavery and involuntary servitude ; Section 10. Attainder; ex post facto laws; impairment of contracts ; Section 11. Searches and seizures ; Section 12. Habeas Corpus ; Section 13. Conduct of suits in person or by counsel ; Section 14. Jury trials ; Section 15. Double jeopardy; bailable offenses; commencement of trial if bail denied; bail hearing; effective date ; Section 16. Bail; fines; punishments; detention of witnesses ; Section 17. Self-incrimination; due process of law; fair treatment at investigations ; Section 18. Witnesses; competency, religious beliefs ; Section 19. Libels, truth as defense ; Section 20. Rights of accused in criminal proceedings ; Section 21. Imprisonment for debt ; Section 22. Treason; definition, evidence ; Section 23. Enumeration of rights not to deny others ; Section 24. Rights of crime victims; enforcement; assessment against convicted defendants -- Article II. Elections : Section 1. Qualifications of electors; residence ; Section 2. Mental incompetence: imprisonment ; Section 3. Presidential electors; residence ; Section 4. Place and manner of elections ; Section 5. Time of elections ; Section 6. Voters on tax limit increases or bond issues ; Section 7. Boards of canvassers ; Section 8. Recalls ; Section 9. Initiative and referendum; limitations; appropriations; petitions ; Section 10. Limitations on terms of office of members of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate from Michigan -- Article III. General government : Section 1. Seat of government ; Section 2. Separation of powers of government ; Section 3. Great seal ; Section 4. Militia ; Section 5. Intergovernmental agreements; service by public officers and employees ; Section 6. Internal improvements ; Section 7. Common law and statutes, continuance ; Section 8. Opinions on constitutionality by Supreme Court.

Article IV. Legislative branch : Section 1. Legislative power ; Section 2. Senators, number, term ; Section 3. Representatives, number, term; contiguity of districts ; Section 4. Annexation or merger with a city ; Section 5. Island areas, contiguity ; Section 6. Commission on legislative apportionment ; Section 7. Legislators; qualifications, removal from district ; Section 8. Ineligibility of government officers and employees ; Section 9. Civil appointments, ineligibility of legislators ; Section 10. Legislators and State officers, government contracts, conflict of interest ; Section 11. Legislators privileged from civil arrest and civil process; limitation; questioning for speech in either house prohibited ; Section 12. State Officers Compensation Commission ; Section 13. Legislature; time of convening, Sine Die Adjournment, measures carried over ; Section 14. Quorum; powers of less than quorum ; Section 15. Legislative council ; Section 16. Legislature; officers, rules of procedure, expulsion of members ; Section 17. Committees; record of votes, public inspection, notice of hearings ; Section 18. Journal of proceedings; record of votes, dissents ; Section 19. Record of votes on elections and advice and consent ; Section 20. Open meetings ; Section 21. Adjournments, limitations ; Section 22. Bills ; Section 23. Style of laws ; Section 24. Laws; object, title, amendments changing purpose ; Section 25. Revision and amendment of laws; title references, publication of entire sections ; Section 26. Bills; printing, possession, reading, vote on passage ; Section 27. Laws, effective date ; Section 28. Bills, subjects at special session ; Section 29. Local or special acts ; Section 30. Appropriations; local or private purposes ; Section 31. General appropriation bills; priority, statement of estimated revenue ; Section 32. Laws imposing taxes ; Section 33. Bills passed; approval by Governor or veto, reconsideration by legislature ; Section 34. Bills, referendum ; Section 35. Publication and distribution of laws and judicial decisions ; Section 36. General revision of laws; compilation of laws ; Section 37. Administrative rules, suspension by legislative committee ; Section 38. Vacancies in office ; Section 39. Continuity of government in emergencies ; Section 40. Alcoholic beverages; age requirement; Liquor Control Commission; excise tax; local option ; Section 41. Lotteries ; Section 42. Ports and port districts; incorporation, internal ; Section 43. Bank and trust company laws ; Section 44. Trial by jury in civil cases ; Section 45. Indeterminate sentences ; Section 46. Death penalty ; Section 47. Chaplains in state institutions ; Section 48. Disputes concerning public employees ; Section 49. Hours and conditions of employment ; Section 50. Atomic and new forms of energy ; Section 51. Public health and general welfare ; Section 52. Natural resources; conservation, pollution, impairment, destruction ; Section 53. Auditor general; appointment, qualifications, term, removal, post audits ; Section 54. Limitations on terms of office of State legislators.

Article V. Executive branch : Section 1. Executive power ; Section 2. Principal departments ; Section 3. Single heads of departments; appointment, term ; Section 4. Commissions or agencies for less than two years ; Section 5. Examining or licensing board members, qualifications ; Section 6. Advice and consent to appointments ; Section 7. Vacancies in office; filling, senatorial disapproval of appointees ; Section 8. Principal departments, supervision of Governor; information from State officers ; Section 9. Principal departments, location ; Section 10. Removal or suspension of officers; grounds, report ; Section 11. Provisional appointments to fill vacancies due to suspension ; Section 12. Military powers ; Section 13. Elections to fill vacancies in legislature ; Section 14. Reprieves, commutations and pardons ; Section 15. Extra sessions of legislature ; Section 16. Legislature other than at seat of government ; Section 17. Messages and recommendations to legislature ; Section 18. Budget; general and deficiency appropriation bills ; Section 19. Disapproval of items in appropriation bills ; Section 20. Reduction in expenditures ; Section 21. State elective executive officers; term, election ; Section 22. Governor and lieutenant governor, qualifications ; Section 23. State elective executive officers, compensation ; Section 24. Executive residence ; Section 25. Lieutenant governor; president of the senate, tie vote, duties ; Section 26. Succession to governorship ; Section 27. Salary of successor ; Section 28. State transportation commission; establishment; purpose; appointment, qualifications, and terms of members; director of State transportation department ; Section 29. Civil rights commission; members, term, duties, appropriation ; Section 30. Limitations on terms of executive officers -- Article VI. Judicial branch ; Section 1. Judicial power in court of justice; divisions ; Section 2. Justices of the supreme court; number, term, nomination, election ; Section 3. Chief justice; court administrator; other assistants ; Section 4. General superintending control over courts; writs; appellate jurisdiction ; Section 5. Court rules; distinctions between law and equity; master in chancery ; Section 6. Decisions and dissents; writing, contents ; Section 7. Staff; budget; salaries of justices; fees ; Section 8. Court of appeals; election of judges, divisions ; Section 9. Judges of court of appeals, terms ; Section 10. Jurisdiction, practice and procedure of court of appeals ; Section 11. Circuit courts; judicial circuits, sessions, number of judges ; Section 12. Circuit judges; nomination, election, term ; Section 13. Circuit courts; jurisdiction, writs, supervisory control over inferior courts ; Section 14. County clerks; duties, vacancies; prosecuting attorneys, vacancies ; Section 15. Probate courts; districts, jurisdiction ; Section 16. Probate judges; nomination, election, terms ; Section 17. Judicial salaries and fees ; Section 18. Salaries; uniformity, changes during term ; Section 19. Courts of record; seal, qualifications of judges ; Section 20. Removal of domicile of judge ; Section 21. Ineligibility for other office ; Section 22. Incumbent judges, affidavit of candidacy ; Section 23. Judicial vacancies, filling; appointee, term; successor; new offices ; Section 24. Incumbent judges, ballot designation ; Section 25. Removal of judges from office ; Section 26. Circuit court commissioners and justices of the peace, abolition; courts of limited jurisdiction ; Section 27. Power of appointment to public office ; Section 28. Administrative action, review ; Section 29. Conservators of the peace ; Section 30. Judicial tenure commission; selection; terms; duties; power of supreme court.

Article VII. Local government : Section 1. Counties; corporate character, powers and immunities ; Section 2. County charters ; Section 3. Reduction of size of county ; Section 4. County officers; terms, combination ; Section 5. Officers at county seat ; Section 6. Sheriffs; security, responsibility for acts, ineligibility for other office ; Section 7. Boards of supervisors; members ; Section 8. Legislative, administrative, and other powers and duties of boards ; Section 9. Compensation of county officers ; Section 10. Removal of county seat ; Section 11. Indebtedness, limitation ; Section 12. Navigable streams, permission to bridge or dam ; Section 13. Consolidation of counties, approval by electors ; Section 14. Organization and consolidation of townships ; Section 15. County intervention in public utility service and rate proceedings ; Section 16. Highways, bridges, culverts, airports; road tax limitation ; Section 17. Townships; corporate character, powers and immunities ; Section 18. Township officers; term, powers and duties ; Section 19. Township public utility franchises ; Section 20. Townships, dissolution; villages as cities ; Section 21. Cities and villages; incorporation, taxes, indebtedness ; Section 22. Charters, resolutions, ordinances; enumeration of powers ; Section 23. Parks, boulevards, cemeteries, hospitals ; Section 24. Public service facilities ; Section 25. Public utilities; acquisition, franchises, sale ; Section 26. Cities and villages, loan of credit ; Section 27. Metropolitan governments and authorities ; Section 28. governmental functions and powers; joint administration, cost and credits, transfers ; Section 29. Highways, streets, alleys, public places; control, use by public utilities ; Section 30. Franchises and licenses, duration ; Section 31. Vacation or alteration of roads, streets, alleys, public places ; Section 32. Budgets, public hearing ; Section 33. Removal of elected officers ; Section 34. Construction of constitution and law concerning counties, townships, cities, villages -- Article VIII. Education : Section 1. Encouragement of education ; Section 2. Free public elementary and secondary schools; discrimination ; Section 3. State board of education; duties ; Section 4. Higher education institutions; appropriations, accounting, public sessions of boards ; Section 5. University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University; controlling boards ; Section 6. Other institutions of higher education, controlling boards ; Section 7. Community and junior colleges; state board, members, terms, vacancies ; Section 8, Services for handicapped persons ; Section 9. Public libraries, fines.

Article IX. Finance and taxation : Section 1. Taxes for state expenses ; Section 2. Power of taxation, relinquishment ; Section 3. Property taxation; uniformity; assessments; limitations; classes; approval of legislature ; Section 4. Exemption of religious or educational nonprofit organizations ; Section 5. Assessment of property of public service businesses ; Section 6. Real and tangible personal property; limitation on general ad valorem taxes; adoption and alteration of separate tax limitations; exceptions to limitations; property tax on school district extending into two or more counties ; Section 7. Income tax ; Section 8. Sales and use taxes ; Section 9. Use of specific taxes on fuels for transportation purposes; authorization of indebtedness and issuance of obligations ; Section 10. Sales tax; distribution to local governments ; Section 11. State school aid fund; source; distribution; guarantee to local school district ; Section 12. Evidence of state indebtedness ; Section 13. Public bodies, borrowing power ; Section 14. State borrowing; short term ; Section 15. Long-term borrowing by State ; Section 16. State loans to school districts ; Section 17. Payments from state treasury ; Section 18. State credit ; Section 19. Subscription to or interest in stock by State prohibited; exceptions ; Section 20. Deposit of State money in certain financial institutions; requirements ; Section 21. Accounting for public moneys ; Section 22. Examination and adjustment of claims against State ; Section 23. Financial records; statement of revenues and expenditures ; Section 24. Public pension plans and retirement systems, obligation ; Section 25. Voter approval of increased local taxes; prohibitions; emergency conditions; repayment of bonded indebtedness guaranteed; implementation of section ; Section 26. Limitation on taxes; revenue limit; refunding or transferring excess revenues; exceptions to revenue limitation; adjustment of State revenue and spending limits ; Section 27. Exceeding revenue limit; conditions ; Section 28. Limitation on expenses of State government ; Section 29. State financing of activities or services required of local government by State law ; Section 30. Reduction of State spending paid to units of local government ; Section 31. Levying tax or increasing rate of existing tax; maximum tax rate on new base; increase in assessed valuation of property; exceptions to limitations ; Section 32. Suit to enforce sections 25 to 31 ; Section 33. Definitions applicable to sections 25 to 32 ; Section 34. Implementation of sections 25 to 33 ; Section 35. Michigan natural resources trust fund ; Section 36. Tax on tobacco products; dedication of proceeds ; Section 36[1]. Michigan state parks endowment fund.

Article X. Property : Section 1. Disabilities of coverture abolished; separate property of wife; dower ; Section 2. Eminent domain; compensation ; Section 3. Homestead and personalty, exemption from process ; Section 4. Escheats ; Section 5. State lands ; Section 6. Resident aliens, property rights -- Article XI. Public officers and employment : Section 1. Oath of public officers ; Section 2. Terms of office of State and county officers ; Section 3. Extra compensation ; Section 4. Custodian of public moneys; eligibility to office, accounting ; Section 5. Classified State civil service; scope; exempted positions; appointment and terms of members of State civil service commission; State personnel director; duties of commission; collective bargaining for State police troopers and sergeants; appointments, promotions, demotions, or removals; increases or reductions in compensation; creating or abolishing positions; recommending compensation for unclassified service; appropriation; reports of expenditures; annual audit; payment for personal services; violation; injunctive or mandamus proceedings ; Section 6. Merit systems for local governments ; Section 7. Impeachment of civil officers -- Article XII. Amendment and revision : Section 1. Amendment by legislative proposal and vote of electors ; Section 2. Amendment by petition and vote of electors ; Section 3. General revision of Constitution; submission of question, convention of delegates and meeting ; Section 4. Severability.

Schedule and temporary provisions : Section 1. Recommendations by attorney general for changes in laws ; Section 2. Existing public and private rights, continuance ; Section 3. Officers, continuance in office ; Section 4. Officers elected in spring of 1963, term ; Section 5. State elective executive officers and senators, two-and four-year terms ; Section 6. Supreme court, reduction to seven justices ; Section 7. Judges of probate, eligibility for re-election ; Section 8. Judicial officers, staggered terms ; Section 9. State board of education; first election, terms ; Section 10. Boards controlling higher education institutions and state board of public community and junior colleges, terms ; Section 11. Michigan State University trustees and Wayne State University governors, terms ; Section 12. Initial allocation of departments by law or executive order ; Section 13. State contracts, continuance ; Section 14. Mackinac Bridge authority; refunding of bonds, transfer of functions to highway department ; Section 15. Submission of Constitution; time, notice ; Section 16. Voters, ballots, effective date.