LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In the final hours of the 2023 legislative session, House Members passed financial disclosure bills, but not without potentially significant loopholes for legislators. 

The disclosure bills come after the state passed Proposal 1 in November 2022, requiring elected state legislative and state executive officials to file annual financial disclosure reports. The reports would include: assets, gifts from lobbyists, income, and positions held in certain organizations, agreements on future employment, among other requirements. 

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State Representative Timmy Beson (R-Bay City) contested that Senate Bills 613-616, pertaining to disclosure requirements, did not go far enough. 

“Our goal should not be to slightly elevate Michigan’s horrible record for government transparency. It should be positioning our state as a leader,” said Rep. Beson. “We should aim higher, especially with bipartisan support to do something. We had all year to listen to calls for greater government transparency and act. But these bills were rammed through late at night on likely one of the last session days of the year and seemed like something the majority just wanted to get off their plate because it was mandated.”

Despite dozens of proposed amendments, none were accepted, sparking opposition from Representative Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City). 

“We intro’d a pkg of 10 far stronger Prop 1 bills that had been diligently worked on by our ethics chair for months,” Rep. Coffia said on X (formerly Twitter). “Shelved. We offered dozens of commonsense amendments to close loopholes in the frankly bare minimum senate bills. Gaveled down. I do not consent to bare minimum.” 

Within Senate Bill 613, it notes that the only fiscal penalty for an individual “who knowingly files an incomplete or inaccurate report in violation of this act” would be a civil fine not exceeding $2,000.  After a grace period of 10 business days of not filing the information after the deadline, a fine of $25 per business day would ensure, but would not exceed $1,000 according to the Senate Bill. 

Representative Andrew Fink (R-Adams Township) voted in favor of the bill package not letting perfect be the enemy of the good.

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“The plan Democrats in majority have written isn’t perfect, but it’s imperative that we implement the financial disclosure requirements that the people of Michigan overwhelmingly supported,” said Rep. Fink defending his vote. “I hope to see our ethics rules go further, but for the time-being, I support this move in the right direction.” 

Under a bill he introduced earlier in the year, House Bill 4265, the two chambers would be required to have bipartisan legislative ethics committees to verify legislator compliance with rules regarding ethics and conflicting interests.

“Transparency and accountability to the people are crucial parts of our system of government,” said Rep. Fink. “We must have systems in place to hold legislators accountable when conflicts of interest arise.  

Additionally, the package does not require legislators’ spouses to disclose similar information despite calls for stricter reporting.  The legislation would apply to the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and state House and Senate lawmakers beginning April 2024.