House approves transparency legislation

State Rep. Aaron Miller has commended his House colleagues for joining him in approving landmark legislation that opens state government to more public scrutiny.
Miller said the 11 bills make the governor and lieutenant governor subject to the Freedom of Information Act and creates a similar disclosure requirement for state representatives and senators called the Legislative Open Records Act.
Miller noted the appropriateness of approving the legislation during Sunshine Week, when the spotlight shines on government transparency.
The legislation is similar to a package of bills introduced last session and passed overwhelmingly by the House. The bills, however, did not make it to the governor for signature.
Miller said Michigan is one of just a few states that do not subject their legislative and executive branches to open records acts. The House recently put a salary database of all House employees on its website to provide more accountability to taxpayers.