State Rep. Rodney Wakeman of Saginaw Township today voted in favor of a bipartisan plan making the governor and the Legislature subject to open records laws.

The Michigan House unanimously approved the multi-bill package with Wakeman’s support, sending the plan to the Senate for further consideration.

Michigan is one of just two states that still exempts its governor and the Legislature from open records laws. The bipartisan solution approved today would end these exemptions and increase transparency in state government – making state legislators and the governor subject to the same type of disclosure laws already followed by public schools and local governments.

“This is a long-overdue measure that brings key state offices into the light of transparency,” Wakeman said. “The people of Saginaw County and the entire state deserve better tools to find out what’s going on within the state government they pay for.  This plan approved by the House is a big step in the right direction.”

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

While LORA mirrors FOIA in many ways, there are exemptions to protect the privacy and personal information of residents who contact their state lawmakers for assistance on personal matters. Other types of communications – including those lawmakers have with state departments and lobbyists – would not be exempt from public disclosure.

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The legislation approved today includes House Bills 4007-4013 and 4015-16.