Legislative Open Records Act would immediately apply to Michigan House under proposed rule change
LANSING — Michigan House Democrats today announced a resolution to immediately place the House under the transparency requirements of the Legislative Open Records Act.
The resolution comes after the House approved a bipartisan ten-bill package today subjecting the governor’s office to the Freedom of Information Act and creating the Legislative Open Records Act to provide more transparency to the people of Michigan.
“Transparency is a core Democratic value and the actions taken today are something Democrats have fought for and will continue to fight for,” said House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Twp. “While passing this legislation is a huge step in the right direction, we should always seek to do more to make Michigan a national leader in transparency and accountability. We don’t need to wait any longer to shine a light on the Michigan House of Representatives, especially if the Senate drags its feet on these necessary transparency measures once again.”
“If the people are to truly hold the power in our government, then the people deserve to know how their government operates. They deserve to know how their tax dollars are spent and whether their elected officials are acting in their best interest,” said Rep. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton. “This legislation won’t solve our transparency issues in one fell swoop, but it is a step in the right direction. It is a step toward opening the doors of government and letting the light shine in. It is a step toward ensuring our system is worthy of the trust Michiganders place in us.”
“The passage of this legislation is a victory for the people of Michigan, but we’ve seen similar legislation pass before only to sit indefinitely in the Senate,” said Rep. Jim Haadsma, D-Battle Creek. “Adopting this resolution to create immediate transparency in the House will show our commitment to real reform, backing up our words with concrete action.”
“What we do on behalf of the people of Michigan day-in and day-out should be transparent,” said Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit. “Without the laws we passed today, people are asked to trust that elected officials hold themselves accountable and the people are right to find that system unacceptable. We still have much work to do to rebuild the public’s trust in us, but today we took a step in the right direction. The passage of this resolution to immediately increase transparency in the House would make that step a leap.”
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