by Wes Smith, president, MPA Board of Directors
Publisher View Newspaper Group
When there was a change in leadership in Michigan’s legislature earlier this year, hope rose again in the hearts of citizens who want a more transparent state government.
Maybe, it was thought by those citizens, the time has finally come for Michigan to join almost every other state in expecting their legislature and Governor to be subject to our open records law. Maybe, they thought, adding hope upon hope, new laws would be passed requiring other government officials to respond to records requests in a timely manner without outrageous fees. But, alas, it’s nearly November and there has not been even a small ray of sunshine in our state house or governor’s mansion.
Michigan remains at the bottom of the bottom for government openness among the fifty states. The Center for Public Integrity gave the Great Lakes State an “F” grade in 2015. In 2020 Michigan ranked 47th out of 50 for anti-corruption measures for public officials according to the Coalition for Integrity.
News reports of former House Speaker Johnson convicted of accepting bribes and Inkster Mayor Wimberly indicted on bribery charges, along with numerous other accounts of unethical behavior on the part of elected officials in our state, illustrate the importance of openness and transparency in government.
In 2022 Michigan voters overwhelmingly supported a ballot initiative to require state elected officials to provide financial disclosure statements. In a recent study, done on behalf of the Michigan Press Association, there was more data showing Michigan voters want more information about what their elected officials are doing. Nearly 9 out of 10 Michigan adults believe that taxpayers should have access to the meeting calendars of state representatives and their correspondence with outside organizations as well as the budgets of these office holders.
Read the rest here at LegalNews
“When you got something to hide… You got something to hide” DW
Copy, Paste, Legislate beta
Do you know if a bill introduced in your statehouse — it might govern who can fix your shattered iPhone screen or whether you can still sue a pedophile priest years later — was actually written by your elected lawmakers? Use this new tool to find out.
Spoiler alert The answer may well be no.
Thousands of pieces of “model legislation” are drafted each year by business organizations and special interest groups and distributed to state lawmakers for introduction.
These copycat bills influence policymaking across the nation, state by state, often with little scrutiny.
This news application was developed by the Center for Public Integrity, part of a year-long collaboration with USA TODAY and the Arizona Republic to bring the practice into the light.
More Posts
Colorado Supreme Court: Employers can fire for off-duty pot use
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday Jun 15, 2015, that Employers’ zero-tolerance drug policies trump Colorado’s medical marijuana laws. In a 6-0 decision, the Colorado Supreme Court affirmed lower court rulings that businesses can fire employees for the use...
How a sex toy put spotlight on Michigan civil asset forfeiture laws targeted for reform
The headlines read... "How a sex toy put national spotlight on Michigan civil asset forfeiture laws targeted for reform" "State Legislators Reconsider Forfeiture Laws That Turn Cops Into Robbers" "Why Take My Vibrator?" Cops Legally Rob "every Belonging"...
Reform Today’s Forfeiture Laws
Everyday, I get calls to my office from medical marijuana patients and caregivers who have been raided or pulled over by police. Often times, these individuals are not arrested, and little if any paperwork is left behind by the various Narcotics Enforcement Teams....
KOMORN LAW NEWSLETTER ISSUE #1 May 2015
The Michigan Legal Advisor News Letters. Read the current newsletter from Michigan's #1 Medical Marijuana Defense Attorney Michael Komorn. KOMORN LAW NEWSLETTER ISSUE #1 May 2015 Michael Komorn is recognized as a leading expert on the Michigan Medical...
Attorney Michael Komorn Lectures Students at the U of M Law School
I wanted to give a huge thanks to University of Michigan Law School Professors Howard Bromberg, Mark Osbeck and Law School class. This past Thursday I had the honor of being asked to speak about my favorite topics, the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act and the practice...
Jury Selection In Marihuana Cases
A jury trial is fundamental to our democratic system of government. Every American citizen should embrace this responsibility by participating, and ensure justice prevails. by Michael Komorn I just picked a jury in a marihuana case, there were several perspective...
Planet Green Trees Radio Episode 149-MSC People v. Koon
The best resource for everything related to Michigan medical marijuana with your host Attorney Michael Komorn. Live every Thursday evening from 8 -10 pm eastern time. By Michael Komorn The Michigan Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion making a finding that...
Polygraphs Proven Unreliable, Used for Police Intimidation
Polygraphs are widely recognized as unreliable yet police still use them to elicit confessions. By Michael Komorn Many states don’t allow polygraph test to be admitted in court because they are unreliable. Their lack of reliability is widely recognized by criminal...
Arrests for DUI’s on the Rise
By Michael Komorn Arrests for DUI’s have been on the rise across Michigan. This trend could drastically increase as The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has called on state authorities to reduce the legal limit to 0.05 percent. Currently, all 50 U.S. states...
US District Court Judge rules police cannot enter a car without a warrant to facilitate a drug dog sniff
Federal Judge Applies GPS Ruling To Drug Dog Traffic Stop By Michael Komorn Last week, a judge with the US District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia applied the precedent to the common police practice of “permeation” where a police officer enters a...
