SE Oakland News

State Reps. Tom Kuhn and Mark Tisdel are pushing for the expansion of Michigan's Freedom of Information Act. The lawmakers have introduced a package of bills aimed at broadening FOIA to encompass the governor's office and the Legislature, as well as enhancing the process for obtaining public records and imposing stricter penalties for government violations of the law.

Kuhn emphasized the importance of concrete legislative action over symbolic gestures, stating, "A resolution is nice, but how about you move some actual legislation? A resolution doesn’t accomplish anything." He highlighted the significance of the proposed bills in improving public access to information and urged for a vote on the legislation that has been stalled in committee.

Furthermore, Kuhn pointed out Governor Gretchen Whitmer's unfulfilled promise to unilaterally expand FOIA to include the governor's office, underscoring the need for legislative action in the absence of executive initiative.

Tisdel, drawing from his experience in local government, stressed the need for transparency at all levels of governance. He noted, "If every local level of government across the state is able to comply, there’s no good reason why the Legislature and governor should be exempt." Tisdel emphasized that transparency becomes even more crucial as one moves up the hierarchy of government.

Michigan currently lags behind in government transparency, being one of only two states where both the legislature and the governor's office are not subject to FOIA or a similar open records requirement. The proposed legislative measures by Kuhn and Tisdel aim to address this gap and enhance accountability in Michigan's governance.