Good Governance
Brendan’s Plan for Government Transparency and Accountability
Year after year, Michigan ranks dead last in government openness, accountability, and ethics. How can we, as Michiganders, expect our government to work for us when it does not even allow light to shine on itself? Good, ethical, transparent, and accessible governance is what leads to higher civic participation, higher trust in our elected leadership, and decreased polarization within government. We know what the keys to good governance are: transparency, accessibility, rooting out corruption, and defending our democracy. But we’ve got a lot of work to do.
So here’s my plan:
Government Transparency
Expand Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to include the Michigan Legislature as well as the Executive branch. Michigan is currently the only state in the nation where the governor and lieutenant governor are explicitly exempted from FOIA. This must change to ensure an honest government.
Develop online databases to provide citizens with easy access to records on laws and government spending. In fact, in a 2019 study, Michigan scored an “F” on transparency for economic development subsidies. Citizens deserve to know where their tax dollars are going.
Empower local journalism. Local, especially independently-owned, media organizations hold government and corporations accountable. Strong local newspapers are also linked to better voter turnout and decreased political polarization. Local papers are often the best way to keep up with local politics and the best way to keep local politicians accountable. We cannot afford to let this industry die.
Accessibility to Constituents
Be open to hearing from voters on the issues that matter. I have signed the Town Hall Pledge and will hold monthly town halls as well as online town halls for those not able to physically attend.
Open a Government Constituent Services Center in the Rochester area. Only a small handful of State Reps have in-district offices, I will work with colleagues in Lansing and Washington to make myself as accessible as possible to constituents.
Modernize Michigan’s government websites to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Website accessibility is the least we can do in the modern era, but current Michigan House of Representatives websites score no better than a B- for accessibility, based on several web accessibility ratings.
Money and Corruption in Politics
Shed light on the Lansing lobbying industry by passing legislation that would bar lobbyists from giving officials free meals or anything of value, create a two-year cooling-off period before former elected officials could become lobbyists and would require lobbyists to publicly log what topics they discuss with lawmakers.
End legislative term limits and the revolving door in Lansing that result in lobbyists having more control than elected officials. While term limits may sound like a nice idea in theory, studies have shown that term limits have failed to deliver many of the “good government” results promised, as they ensure that lobbyists – not legislators – have institutional memory in Lansing.
Defending Democracy
Secure our election day procedures by ensuring Michiganders are only voting by paper ballot and that municipalities are using the most secure counting machines to process them. Clerks and election officials must be given the resources and time needed to process ballots in an accurate and efficient manner, and risk-management systems like post-election Risk-Limiting Audits should be rolled out across the state.
Work with colleagues in both Lansing and Washington to support the United States intelligence and defense communities in their efforts to combat misinformation and foreign-origionated election propaganda, which especially threatens voters in “swing states,” like Michigan.
Protect expanded enfranchisement by maintaining the same-day registration, vote from home, and automatic voter registration. Michigan was a tremendous national success story by approving Proposition 3 in the 2018 election, but we must be vigilant defending this success against forces working to undermine it.
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Want to influence this or future policies? Brendan is establishing several Advisory Boards to help guide his policies during the campaign and also when he is elected in Lansing. Sign up to join!