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200 years later, Michigan played last-minute role in ratifying 27th Amendment

ROBERT HUFFSTUTTER
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As it turns out, Michigan played a significant role in the history of the 27th Amendment. Michigan put it over the top in 1992.

Rick Pluta, Michigan Radio’s state Capitol bureau chief, was there to witness it.

“It was supposed to be one of the first amendments in the Bill of Rights,” Pluta said, “but the states never adopted it and there was no time limit for doing it, which is why this was allowed to linger on for so long. And what it says is that Congress, Members of Congress, cannot collect a pay raise that they voted on for themselves until an election has intervened – that they have to face the voters before they get the pay raise that they voted on for themselves.”

Hear about the “race to be the state that adopted the most recent amendment to the United States Constitution” in the interview above.

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