MIDLAND, Mich. — Michigan has long been rated one of the least transparent states in the country. New legislation could change that. Bills heard today in the Senate Oversight Committee, and a separate bill package introduced in the House, take positive steps towards increasing transparency in the state.

The Mackinac Center’s director of transparency and open government, Steve Delie, testified in support of Senate Bills 669 and 670, which would open the governor’s office and the legislature to the Freedom of Information Act.

These bills address a serious problem, but as Delie pointed out in his testimony, they have shortcomings lawmakers should consider amending. The bills currently contain special exemptions for the legislature and governor’s office that are very broad and give the government too much discretion. While these exemptions should be improved, opening the executive office and the legislature to FOIA is a significant step in the right direction. But there’s much more to be done to make the entire state government more transparent.

The Mackinac Center published a study in October that provides guidance on how to amend the state’s Freedom of Information Act in order to fix many of the current shortcomings and ensure greater transparency. This includes steps to address outrageous fees, delays, and redactions. Another suggestion from the study is the creation of an open government commission.

Many of these recommendations are incorporated in a bill package, House Bills 5422-5427, introduced earlier today.

“It’s wonderful to see lawmakers across the political spectrum taking serious steps to improve FOIA,” said Steve Delie. “Lawmakers should continue to push for meaningful and aggressive reforms that drastically expand government transparency.”

Read the full testimony here.

Read the Mackinac Center's study Fixing FOIA here.