The following column was published by the Detroit News on Monday, Jan. 12:

Oversight is a critical component of state government to ensure it is working as intended for the people while respecting their tax dollars. This past year, the Michigan Legislature’s House Oversight Committee covered several areas and worked in bipartisan fashion to examine if this was the case and highlight areas where it wasn’t.

We investigated serious failures within the state’s Department of Health and Human Services regarding its protection of children. We subpoenaed the department’s director, Elizabeth Hertel, to examine the state’s response to child welfare emergencies and placement, as evidence was presented showing that the state has fallen short.

We are leading an ongoing investigation into failed leadership within the Michigan State Police, as individuals heading the department received a vote of “no confidence” from 98.5% of MSP troopers and 90% of command officers in a poll conducted by the Michigan State Police Troopers Association in June. We gave a voice to farmers and exposed bureaucratic overreach of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, and provided concerned parents with a platform and answers regarding updated health education standards from the Michigan Department of Education that incorporate politically charged and unproven ideologies into curricula.

The committee acted unanimously to subpoena the Attorney General for information on two issues that presented evidence of a conflict of interest. One was her decision not to file charges in a case referred to her by the Secretary of State’s office involving an alleged campaign finance violation and an organization that included a member of Nessel’s family. The other request sought documents and testimony about her department’s investigation into Traci Kornak, a lawyer and former treasurer of the Michigan Democratic Party, as well as a friend of Nessel’s who served on the AG’s transition team when she was elected in 2018.

What we saw in presentations to our committee were instances where the AG’s communication broke an “isolation wall” that was put in place to separate her from the Traci Kornak case and its progress. In addition, information provided to our committee indicated that Nessel’s office did not perform its due diligence in interviewing the alleged victim or the whistleblower in the fraud case involving Kornak. This information was incredibly enlightening, and we will be following up to deliver answers to the people we represent in the year ahead.

We held Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson accountable. We protected taxpayer dollars while delivering clarity regarding a campaign finance website that was supposed to promote greater transparency, but was riddled with costly delays and programming errors. Our hearings on this issue pushed for answers and critical information on refunds to the state, pausing additional payments for the system and timelines for needed fixes. We also held her in contempt of the Legislature for failing to provide the committee with election training materials that would give representatives of the people a clearer picture of how Michigan conducts its elections process and if that process is working as efficiently as it should.

Looking into these things allows us to deliver answers and develop solutions. I have personally sponsored new legislation that provides common-sense reforms to an Attorney General’s powers in Michigan, and other legislators have taken what they heard from elected leaders and department officials in our committee to formulate plans to protect Michigan’s kids, ensure transparency and more.

For the first time this legislative term, we created several new House Oversight subcommittees. These subcommittees focused on specific areas, like public health, corporate subsidies, weaponization of state government and others, to devote the time needed to uncover problems and establish a robust process for reviewing government actions.

Our work is not done in 2026. We will continue to follow up with various departments and complete our investigations, and we will keep working for the people to get answers. Michigan has historically had a weak oversight process, and our embarrassingly low rankings for government transparency and integrity over the years reflect that. Our committee is working to build something the state desperately needs to improve how government operates, and we will follow through.

Jay DeBoyer, R- Clay Township, represents Michigan’s 63^rd House District and serves as House Oversight Chairman.