FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
June 9, 2021
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
‘Transparency Reform’ Passed by House is Just an Illusion
Financial disclosure bills fall well short of real disclosure
MICHIGAN – After news that the Michigan House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan set of financial disclosure bills, transparency advocates are calling attention to critical flaws in the policy. Unlike the financial disclosure laws for state lawmakers that exist in a majority of states across the country, these bills would give these disclosures over to a secretive legislative committee rather than releasing them to the public.
“Here at Progress Michigan, we’ve been calling for financial disclosure laws in Michigan for years because Michiganders deserve to know whether their elected officials are acting based on what’s best for their constituents or what’s best for their own pocketbooks,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “There’s no question the lack of financial transparency in our legislature is a big contributor to Michigan’s last-in-the-nation ethics ratings and the legislature should be taking up this important issue. Unfortunately, the version passed through the House today is merely the illusion of transparency and contains critical flaws that would allow lawmakers to evade real accountability. We urge our legislators to reconsider their approach to financial disclosures, follow the lead of almost every other state in the country, and ensure the public has the full truth about their lawmakers’ financial interests.”
###