FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
January 19, 2016
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574
Progress Michigan Sends Governor Snyder Official Request for Flint Documents
FOIA Request gives Gov. Snyder a chance to waive FOIA exemption
LANSING — Today, Progress Michigan sent a FOIA request directly to Governor Rick Snyder urging him to waive his executive exemption and release all emails from his office regarding the Flint Water Crisis.
“Governor Snyder has indicated that he is thinking about releasing the documents the public demands and now he has an official request that he can either honor or deny,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “The time for a full accounting of what happened and why it happened is now. How the governor treats our request will determine if he is serious about transparency and accountability.”
For over a year, Progress Michigan has repeatedly called for FOIA reform including the end of the exemption for both the legislature and the executive office.
“We urge the governor to not only waive his exemption but to announce in tonight’s speech that he supports legislation to permanently end the exemption for his office and the legislature,” Scott continued. “There should be no exemptions from transparency.”
A copy of the request can be found here.
###