State Rep. Mike Harris and the Michigan House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted historic reforms to ensure transparency, accountability, and public benefit in all legislatively directed spending initiatives.

House Resolution 14 is aimed at restoring taxpayer trust and ensuring hard-earned dollars are spent wisely. It is just part of House Republicans’ renewed focus on fiscal responsibility and government accountability in the 2025-26 legislative session.

“For years, the Michigan budget process has been mired in self-dealing, as some lawmakers and the governor have given away taxpayer-funded favors to their close political allies,” said Harris, R-Waterford. “What’s worse: Most of these handouts have been shoved into giant budget bills at the last minute and in the dead of night. I’ve fought against wasteful, secretive pork projects. With House Republicans in majority, we’re putting a stop to unvetted projects that don’t benefit the people of Michigan.”

Recent state budgets have included billions of dollars for earmarks, including last year’s budget, which Harris strongly opposed. These grants have often lacked transparency, leaving taxpayers in the dark about their purpose and benefit. Several have even been linked to mismanagement and questionable spending.

One glaring example came in 2022, when an ally of Gov. Whitmer secured a $20 million earmark for a newly created company. This taxpayer money was misused on personal luxuries, including a $4,500 coffee maker, an $11,000 first-class international plane ticket, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in excessive salaries and legal fees.

The resolution approved today lays out new rules for legislatively directed spending initiatives to prevent similar abuses:

• No earmarks for for-profit businesses: Direct grants will be limited to public bodies and eligible non-profits.
• Stricter non-profit eligibility: Organizations must be established in Michigan for at least three full years and maintain a physical office in the state for at least one full year.
• Greater accountability for sponsors: Each funding request must include detailed information, including the sponsor and co-sponsors, the intended recipient’s name and location, the requested amount, the grant’s purpose, an explanation of public benefit, project timeline, and other key details.
• Conflict-of-interest protections: Sponsors must certify they have no conflicts of interest with the recipient. Family members and staff of the sponsor should not serve on the non-profit’s board or be employed by the organization.
• Stronger public oversight: Funding requests must be submitted to the House Business Office at least 14 days before consideration and made publicly available online by May 1 for 2025 and April 1 in future years.

“For-profit businesses shouldn’t get special handouts on the taxpayer dime, and well-connected individuals shouldn’t be able to start brand-new nonprofits just to enrich themselves with taxpayer funds,” Harris said. “The people of Michigan should get value for the dollars they pay to state government, and our new budget transparency rules will make sure that grants go only toward carefully reviewed projects.”

HR 14 passed the House by a unanimous vote of 105-0.