LANSING — State Rep. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) introduced House Resolution 33 to change the standing rules of the Michigan House to open legislative records to public inspection. While current rules only require the disclosure of financial records, Hood’s resolution would make any material prepared, owned, used, in possession of or retained by the House available to the public after submitting a sufficiently detailed written request.
“There is wide bipartisan support for a greater level of transparency and accountability in the legislative process,” said Hood. “While we work on a more comprehensive package to extend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to cover the Legislature, this is a step we can take right now to shine a bit more light on the Capitol. We all know Michigan has consistently ranked last in government transparency and ethics, so this is a good first step to undo that damage, restore trust and bring that dubious distinction to an end.”
Like FOIA, Hood’s resolution makes exemptions for sensitive personal information like employee social security numbers and correspondence with constituents.
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