Sec. Benson testifies in support of bills on financial disclosure

On Oct. 25, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson testified before the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee in support of SB 613, 614, 615, and 616, legislation that would expand and require financial disclosure for elected officials and candidates in Michigan.
“Michigan voters spoke loud and clear in 2022 when citizens from both parties voted overwhelmingly to demand more transparency and disclosure of the influence of money in Lansing,” said Benson in her testimony.
“I am here today because for far too long our state has been among the worst states in the nation when it comes to government transparency and ethics laws.”
Noting the constitutional mandate that certain disclosure requirements to be enacted this calendar year, Benson emphasized she sees the bills as “the first step in a long overdue effort” to reform our state’s ethics and financial disclosure laws.
“These bills are the first of many reforms we need to enact before the end of the year, but I hope and expect they will not be the last thing we do,” Benson said.
She specifically spoke about the importance of expanded disclosure requirements and enforcement mechanisms, reiterating her past statements that “Proposal 1 should be a floor, not a ceiling, to enacting meaningful ethics and transparency reforms in our state.”
Benson thanked the bipartisan group of Senators Singh, Moss, McBroom, and Huizenga for proposing the bills. “My office stands ready to support this critical work and collaborate with legislators as we enact the will of Michigan voters,” she said.