House Appropriations Chair Ann Bollin today released the following statement after the Senate voted on SB 596, which would allow legislators to submit earmark spending requests just 10 days before a budget is finalized:

“It may be 10 times the amount of transparency the Senate showed the public as part of this year’s budget process, but the so-called ‘transparency’ plan the Senate passed today is not nearly good enough. Ten days of notice before stuffing earmarks into a multi-billion-dollar budget doesn’t come close to true transparency. The people of Michigan deserve to know where their money is going. Legislators and residents deserve time to look into special projects, analyze whether their tax dollars are being used for the public good, and weigh in before the budget becomes law.

“I’ve said from the beginning that accountability and openness must come first. If the Senate isn’t willing to allow at least 90 days of public scrutiny for earmarks, then I’m perfectly fine not including any earmarks in the budget. We can fund important priorities without hiding pet projects in the fine print.”