LANSING — State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) introduced her first bill yesterday to guarantee state agencies are spending taxpayer dollars responsibly and to protect the paychecks and pocketbooks of state workers. House Bill 4151 would require state agencies to receive approval from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees before being able to privatize any of their services. The approval process would require submission of a detailed and objective cost-benefit analysis proving significant cost savings before agencies could make the shift.

“This legislation goes a long way toward increasing transparency in state decision-making, which is especially critical when considering the fate of working families’ paychecks,” Pohutsky said. “Rather than outsourcing good-paying jobs without understanding the financial impact of those decisions, we must ensure our state departments are using reliable, up-to-date data to guarantee taxpayer dollars are used wisely and families’ pocketbooks are protected.”

HB 4151 would require the privatization cost-benefit analysis be published on the state agency’s website to ensure state government can be held accountable for its use of taxpayer dollars.

###