By Rep. Matt Hall
This article ran in the Feb. 23, 2019 edition of the Marshall Advisor & Chronicle. You may view it here.
Michigan families deserve to have a voice in their state government.
That is why I voted last week to reject Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order that silences the voice of the people and eliminates citizen commissions required by law to inform government officials how proposed regulations would impact the public before the new rules take effect.
For years, Michigan citizens have voiced concerns about the need for better transparency and communication from government regulators before new regulations take effect. These citizens recognized that proposed regulations often had unintended consequences that significantly hindered the ability of local governments and job creators to operate in our state.
Last term, the Michigan Legislature worked collaboratively with citizens and stakeholders over many months to come up with a solution to correct these long-standing problems with the state’s environmental regulatory process. The solution was to create three panels that gave citizens a voice at key points in the regulatory process. These commissions, resulting from hours and hours of testimony and deliberation, were eliminated with the stroke of the governor’s pen through Executive Order 2019-02.
Michigan’s Constitution grants the governor the power to reorganize departments of government as she sees fit. But it does not give her the authority to change the law by executive order. If a governor attempts to do so, Michigan’s Constitution grants the legislature the authority to review the executive order and reject it. I voted to reject Governor Whitmer’s executive order because it ignores the law, reduces transparency, and silences the voices of the people we represent.
This issue is not about partisanship. My vote to restore these three citizen panels is upholding the same law that existed under a Republican administration during a Democrat administration. Governor Whitmer should be held to the same high standard as any governor: to represent the interests of the people of Michigan and protect the constitutional separation of powers. No matter the issue, we govern for the people, by the people – not all by ourselves. No one person gets to make all the rules.
It is also important to know the facts about my vote. It will not stop assistance to communities affected by PFAS or other environmental issues. It also does not affect the governor’s reauthorization of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), or any other critical department functions.
Furthermore, the three panels that the governor’s proposed order would have abolished do not hinder clean water efforts. Rather, they are put in place by law to increase transparency and accountability, and to give all citizens a voice.
Our government depends on the separation of powers and I am committed to protecting our state’s constitution. Moving forward, I am hopeful that the governor submits a revised executive order that better protects our environment and the health and safety of Michigan families because it protects the important voice of the people we serve in the political process.
###
Matt Hall was first elected to serve the 63rd District in the Michigan House of Representatives in November 2018. The 63rd District consists of south and central Calhoun County and eastern Kalamazoo County.
© 2009 - 2024 Michigan House Republicans. All Rights Reserved.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.