Proposed financial disclosure bills wouldn’t make current lawmakers’ finances public
Today 10:00 AM
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A new proposal in the Michigan House would compel lawmakers and state officers to disclose their personal financial interests for the first time but that information wouldn’t be public until after they leave office, an arrangement that if signed into law, would diverge significantly from the 48 other states that currently require financial disclosure.
Michigan has long been an outlier when it comes to identifying and regulating potential financial conflicts of interest for elected officials. It’s one of two states – and the only one with a full-time legislature – with no requirement for state public officials to disclose basic financial information, including income sources, business investments, gifts and travel compensation.
Michigan transparency bills actually keep lawmaker finances from public bridgemi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bridgemi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
House Dems use secretive money to outsource communications to group with ties to special interests
Updated 7:00 AM;
Today 7:00 AM
State Rep. Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Township, speaks at a clean water town hall in Scio Township on March 7, 2019. (Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)
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For months, Michigan House Democrats have used secret funding sources to pay an outside public relations firm to run communications while leaving key internal positions unfilled, an unusual arrangement that some say raises ethical red flags.
Under the Michigan Legislature’s current structure, each of the four legislative caucuses the majority and minority parties in both chambers has a publicly-funded budget for a central communications staff that answers to caucus leadership.
Washtenaw United: 03/15/21
WEMU has partnered with the United Way of Washtenaw County to explore the people, organizations, and institutions creating opportunity and equity in our area. And, as part of this ongoing series, you’ll also hear from the people benefiting and growing from the investments being made in the areas of our community where there are gaps in available services. It is a community voice. It is Washtenaw United.
ABOUT ALMA WHEELER SMITH:
Alma Smith served in the Michigan Legislature for 14 years, 6 in the House and 8 in the Senate. She served on the powerful Appropriations Committee in both chambers. Prior to service in the Legislature, she worked as a Senior Producer at the University of Michigan Television Center and Legislative Coordinator for State Senator Lana Pollack. While working and raising three children, Alma represented her community as an Ann Arbor Cablecasting Commissioner, South Lyon Community Schools Board of Education Trus
Bridge swept online general news and investigative categories on its way to winning 19 awards last week at an annual awards ceremony of the Detroit chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists.
Weeks after being named “Newspaper of the Year” in its division for the second consecutive year by the Michigan Press Association, Bridge took three first-place awards from the SPJ, three second-place, three third-place and eight honorable mention awards. Bridge also shared a first place and second place award with its media partners.
The awards were for stories that ran covered topics as diverse as the Flint water crisis and misappropriation of welfare money to mass transit and childcare.