Michigan House Ethics Committee has not met since June
Transparency legislation is languishing, vice-chair claims
The House Ethics and Oversight Committee hasn’t met since June. And its vice chair questions whether the committee will move on transparency legislation by year’s end.
When the 102nd Michigan Legislature started work in January, Democrats took control of the House and Senate, promising that an ethics overhaul was coming. The Detroit News described the new majority as “vowing to make the state Legislature more transparent and take action in response to, and not ignore, the problems of the past.”
Rep. Erin Byrnes, D-Dearborn, chairs the committee.
“We have, I think, a broad scope of ethics concerns,” Byrnes told the News back then.
But that broad scope of concern has not caused lawmakers to pass any relevant legislation. Records show the committee has only met six times in 2023, the first time in March, the last time June 22.
Rep. Tom Kunse, R-Clare, is vice chair of the House ethics committee.
“Today is 223 days since we introduced our transparency bills,” Kunse told Michigan Capitol Confidential Monday. “The governor for FOIA. Lobbying disclosures. There were 11 bills. That was in March. March 11. And nothing. We have not heard testimony on a single bill, Democrat or Republican, all year.”
Byrnes did not respond to a request for comment.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
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House votes to end NDAs on public spending projects
Lawmakers release 18 departments from requirement to report severance payments
Whitmer might sign fewer laws with Democratic majority
With a Republican legislature, Whitmer signed 278 laws last year. She’s below 200 in 2023.
As of Oct. 20, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had signed 169 bills into law, per the Public Acts Table for 2023. Democrats hold the majority in both houses of the legislature.
By this point in 2022, when Republicans held the majority in both houses, Whitmer had signed 227 bills into law, en route to signing 278 laws.
On their way out of power last year, the majority Republicans were kind enough to give Whitmer a train set. They agreed to divert $5 million per year of hotel taxes to Detroit’s QLine through 2039.
The Democrats could have done it themselves a month later. But there was no need.
Be wary when you read headlines touting bipartisanship. People make concessions for adversaries that they don’t make for friends. This bargaining and bonding is done with taxpayer money.
Then Democrats got power and hardly knew what to do with it, after an initial checklist that included right-to-work repeal. There were too many mouths to be fed. Too many factions to placate. What passes for an idea these days is a second Michigan department of education and a second MichiganWorks office.
Two Democratic state reps are running for mayor in their cities: Kevin Coleman of Westland and Lori Stone in Warren. If either one wins, Democrats would fall below the 56-vote threshold needed to pass a House bill.
Right now Democrats control the House 56-54. An outright majority is needed in the Michigan House, not just a majority of members present.
With a 55-54 or 54-54 split, Democrats couldn’t pass anything without Republican help.
Watch what happens in Lansing after Nov. 7, if Coleman or Stone wins. With the power to save 10 million people from taxation and regulation, will the minority party use it?
James David Dickson is managing editor of Michigan Capitol Confidential. Email him at dickson@mackinac.org.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.