FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
January 22, 2015
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Strange Bedfellows: Progress Michigan Supports Mackinac Center FOIA Lawsuit
FOIA reform is an issue we can all agree on
LANSING – Today, Progress Michigan announced their support for a lawsuit brought by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy alleging that the Michigan Liquor Control Commission broke FOIA law by charging excessive fees for copying information onto a flash drive.
“Though we disagree with the Mackinac Center on just about every major issue, we find common ground in exposing Michigan’s broken FOIA laws,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “If this is how Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration treats its conservative political allies then the public should be concerned about how those who oppose Snyder’s policies are treated. When your friends are suing you, it speaks volumes about your trustworthiness.”
Progress Michigan has repeatedly used the FOIA law to keep Michigan residents informed on how its government operates. Copies of FOIA documents obtained and released by Progress Michigan can be found here.
“The fees charged to obtain public information are astronomical,” Scott continued. “Progress Michigan will have spent nearly $10,000 obtaining information that is supposed to be publicly available. The bill the Governor signed in lame duck is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done with FOIA reform.”
Progress Michigan would like to see reforms to extend FOIA to include executive and legislative offices along with administrative functions of the judiciary and to make it easier for the general public to obtain the documents.
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