“Michigan ranks dead last in ethics and transparency, receiving an ‘F’ rating from the independent Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity. Yet this week, the Republican majority accelerated the legislative process to allow more secret campaign contributions into our elections. Senate Bills 335 and 336 allow candidates for office to solicit unlimited contributions to independent expenditure committees, or ‘super PACs,’ to coordinate with the candidate seeking office. This means the same candidate can reach the individual contribution limit set by law and still ask for unlimited amounts of money into another account, therefore circumventing the law. To make matters worse, these bills were moved quickly from committee, to the House floor, and then to an immediate vote. This progression did not allow information to get to the public, nor allow elected representatives to have an honest debate on the topic. What remains top priorities for myself and the residents of my district, is fixing our roads, improving our schools, and making sure there are good-paying jobs — not to have unlimited amounts of money flooded into our elections. I will continue to stand up to large corporations and the ultra-wealthy who are trying to influence our elections and call for comprehensive campaign finance reform.”
