LANSING, Mich. (March 16, 2021) — Today, as part of Sunshine Week, Sens. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) and Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) testified before the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee on bills that would increase transparency in Michigan’s government.
“For the past seven years, Senator McBroom and I have been working tirelessly to shine a light on the inner workings of state government so our constituents can better understand how their elected officials are conducting business in Lansing,” Sen. Moss said. “This government runs on taxpayer dollars. Public servants should not be shielded by the law when they are paid and elected by the people of Michigan.”
The legislation, Senate Bills 232-241, would add the offices of governor and lieutenant governor to the Freedom of Information Act, as well as create the Legislative Open Records Act (LORA).
LORA would allow citizens to request legislative records from the House and Senate but would only apply to records created after January 1, 2022. The legislation also provides for certain exemptions — mostly limited to personal information — but are not limited to:
- All constituent communications.
- Personal records that would result in an unwarranted invasion of privacy, including Human Resource files and internet use records.
- Advisory communications preliminary to a final policy determination or action.
- Records that are fewer than 15 days old.
- Communications with LSB bill drafters.
- Records exclusively maintained by the majority or minority caucuses.
The Center for Public Integrity ranked Michigan dead last in government accountability and integrity in their 2015 report. The state failed 10 out of 13 possible categories, including “public access to information, executive accountability, lobbying disclosure, and political financing.” Michigan is also one of two states that don’t subject their legislatures, governor’s office, or both to FOIA.
“A functional republic needs citizens to have confidence in their government,” Sen. McBroom said. “In these times, when so much of that confidence is eroded by lack of transparency in government, real corruption, and those spreading malicious conspiracies, we should make every effort to build back trust by shining a bright light of accountability on even the mundane work of our elected leaders.”
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