FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Contact: Jessica Tramontana, jessica@progressmichigan.org, 517-974-6302
LARA responds to FOIA request with pro forma letter, no supporting documentation
LANSING – After initially denying two FOIA requests for any documents related to taxpayer resources used in production of a flier promoting the state’s new RTW law that was mailed to businesses around the state, the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs today finally replied to Progress Michigan with a pro forma letter and dollar amount.
“Although we’re glad to receive a pro forma response four days after the information was leaked to the media, it’s frankly insulting to Michigan taxpayers that the Snyder Administration refuses to provide any documentation supporting these numbers,” said Zack Pohl, Executive Director of Progress Michigan. “From locking the people out of our Capitol during the RTW debate to his secret ‘skunk works’ committee, Rick Snyder has made a habit of hiding from the public eye. We’re going to keep working to shed light on how much taxpayers have really been charged for political propaganda promoting this divisive law. Michigan taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
This letter matched the dollar amount quoted to MLive last week by DTMB spokesman Kurt Weiss. This followed the April 11 denial of Progress Michigan’s initial FOIA request, then an April 15 letter claiming that “records do not exist,” in response to a second FOIA request. Progress Michigan will continue to seek complete documentation backing up claims made by DTMB spokesman Kurt Weiss and in the letter received today.
###
BACKGROUND:
Letter received today: http://www.scribd.com/doc/138751682
Denial letter received April 11, 2013: http://www.scribd.com/doc/138757628
Denial letter received April 15, 2013: http://www.scribd.com/doc/137917109
FOIA request letter sent to Gary Buckberry, FOIA coordinator for DTMB on April 10, 2013: http://www.scribd.com/doc/137916836