State Rep. Gary Howell this week voted to approve a bipartisan package of bills to make state government more accountable to the people of Michigan. Howell, of North Branch, is a co-sponsor of each of these bills.

Michigan is one of just two states that exempts its governor and the Legislature from open records laws. The bipartisan solution approved this week would end these exemptions and increase transparency in state government.

“We will foster public trust by expanding open records laws to the legislative and executive branches,” Howell said. “People deserve full transparency from all of their elected officials. It’s the only way the public can hold their government accountable.”

The proposal will subject the governor and lieutenant governor to the Freedom of Information Act and hold state representatives and senators to the same high standard by creating the Legislative Open Records Act.

In order to protect citizen privacy, there are exemptions for constituent inquiries to ensure that personal information is protected. Other types of communications – including those lawmakers have with state departments and lobbyists – would not be exempt.

House Bills 4007-13 and 4015-16 now advance to the Senate for consideration.

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