Bills opening Michigan Legislature, governor to records requests get elusive Senate hearing – By Craig Mauger (The Detroit News) / Sept 13 2020
Lansing — Transparency advocates in Michigan contend they’re closer than before to subjecting the state Legislature and Governor’s Office to open records requests after the previously resistant Senate scheduled a committee hearing this week on the matter.
Michigan is one of two states that wholly exempt the Legislature and Governor’s Office from laws allowing the public to obtain government records. That’s one reason Michigan ranked 50th nationally for transparency and systems to deter corruption in a 2015 study by the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity.
At 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Senate Oversight Committee will take testimony on proposals to implement the changes that have stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate the last two sessions.
“This is something that is going to shift the way legislators are scrutinized and the governor is scrutinized by the citizens of this state,” said Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, who has championed the proposals along with Senate Oversight Chairman Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan.
Continue to article: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/13/bills-opening-michigan-legislature-governor-records-requests-get-hearing/3471698001/
