The Michigan House of Representative voted this week to ban lawmakers from signing nondisclosure agreements that cover their work as legislators. The two bills were approved by votes 91-17 and 80-28. They will need Senate approval and the governor’s signature before they become law.

State officials have been making agreements to stay quiet about their work to offer taxpayer money to select companies. The agreements prevented officials from talking about who they were going to offer money to and how much they offered. People deserve to know where their money is going, and lawmakers shouldn’t propose massive payments to companies in secret.

By keeping negotiations out of the public eye until they struck deals, lawmakers prevent citizens from being able to voice their objections to bad policy. Corporate handouts are ineffective at creating jobs, unfair to other businesses and expensive to taxpayers.

The deals may still be hidden from the public eye, even if these bills become law. The bills apply only to legislators, not the governor or administrators of state programs.

The bills would stop legislators from hiding important information from their constituents, and it is good that they passed the Michigan House.

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