LANSING, Mich. — Michigan lawmakers are working to expand the state’s Freedom of Information Act to include the governor’s office and state legislators, a move advocates say would strengthen government transparency and accountability. 

According to reporting from the Detroit Free Press, the legislation, which passed the Senate with a 36-2 vote in June, would address a significant gap in the state’s transparency laws. The bills are now waiting for action in the House, where Speaker Joe Tate has not committed to advancing them during the lame-duck session. 

First created in 1976, Michigan’s FOIA law has provided public access to government records but excluded the governor’s office and state legislators. Critics have called this exemption a glaring loophole that limits citizens’ ability to hold their leaders accountable. 

Efforts to close this loophole are not new, but past attempts have stalled in the Legislature. Proponents of the current bills hope broad bipartisan support will help carry the measures across the finish line. 

“This is about accountability and ensuring the public has access to decisions that affect their lives,” said Lisa McGraw, public affairs manager for the Michigan Press Association. 

However, the bill’s fate remains uncertain as the clock ticks on the pending end to the lame-duck session. If lawmakers fail to act before the end of the 2024 calendar year, the bills will have to be reintroduced in the next legislative session, potentially jeopardizing the bipartisan momentum they’ve garnered.

If enacted, Michigan’s FOIA expansion could serve as a model for other states with similar transparency gaps. The reform would also improve Michigan’s standing among states on government accountability and transparency rankings. 

According to a 2019 research study by Ryan Mulvey and James Malvo, published in the Brechner FOI Project’s Journal of Civic Information, a minority of states categorically excludes legislative records from disclosure. 

“For too long, legislative branches, including Congress, have prevented people from seeing how the sausage is made,” said David Cuillier, director of the Brechner FOI Project. “It’s time to open all the capitol houses so the people can better trust decisions being made on their behalf.” 

Posted: December 10, 2024
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, FOIA, Secrecy Tracker