FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENews from Progress Michigan
March 1, 2021
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Real FOIA Reform Ballot Initiative Planned by Progress Michigan
Foot-dragging and half-measures have plagued quest for transparency for too long
MICHIGAN — Year after year, FOIA reform is rolled out in the legislature only to go to Mike Shirkey’s Senate to die. The people of Michigan have been robbed of real government transparency for too long. Progress Michigan, the progressive organization that has been pursuing real FOIA reform for nearly a decade, will be pursuing a 2022 ballot initiative aimed at a full repeal of gubernatorial and legislative FOIA exemptions, the organization announced today.
“Every year it’s the same story: bills with good intentions that don’t go quite far enough and include ludicrous carve outs for the legislature in an effort to bribe Republicans to support them, slowly die on the vine because of a lack of political will or commitment to real transparency in the legislature. The public is sick of it and we’re done playing games,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “The people of Michigan deserve accountable and transparent government and we will be pursuing a 2022 ballot initiative to bring real transparency to Lansing. We’ve seen what elected officials like Mike Shirkey say when he doesn’t know he’s being recorded, imagine what transparency into his emails could show.
Our proposal will not include carve outs, no special treatment for the legislature, just straight up transparency the people of Michigan deserve. The Republican controlled legislature has been Lucy with the football long enough. It’s time to move this issue beyond campaign happy talk and make it a reality.”
More information will be rolled out during Sunshine Week in March.
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