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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Speaker Matt Hall
We all want government transparency. Who doesn't?
M. L. Elrick, an investigative columnist for the Detroit Free Press, writes that hypocrites who say they do, but have done far too little to make it happen, include Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican House Speaker Matt Hall. Both have failed to change state law so the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) does not exempt the governor's office and state lawmakers from disclosing government documents.
Michigan is only one of two states that exempts state lawmakers and the governor’s office from being subject to records requests.
Elrick notes it's the start of Sunshine Week, which is meant to celebrate transparency in government. He says there's nothing to really celebrate.
He writes that Hall, in March 2024, sent then-Democratic Speaker Joe Tate a letter proclaiming that “this Sunshine Week presents an opportunity to enhance the transparency and efficiency of state government.”
“House Republicans have long been supportive of more openness in the Legislature,” Hall wrote, adding, “The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is supposed to ensure public access to government records, and it's worrisome that there are gaps in how information is shared and communicated with the public.”
But when Tate put it up for a vote, Hall told Republicans not to attend House sessions because he opposed multiple measures before the Legislature, Elrick notes.
During Whitmer's first term, Senate Republican leaders blocked every attempt to expand FOIA, even after the House passed legislation with near-unanimous support, Elrick writes. Then Whitmer vowed to use her authority under the Michigan Constitution to extend FOIA.
Elrick writes:
That sure sounds good, but Whitmer never carried through on her pledge. Instead, she reversed course and said the governor's office shouldn't make its records available to the public until the Legislature agreed to subject itself to the state's Freedom of Information Act.
Whitmer's press secretary tells Elrick that the governor is the first in state history to voluntarily disclose personal financial information and income tax returns.
In January 2025, the state Senate passed legislation to expand FOIA, but it has gone nowhere.
Democratic Sen. Jeremy Moss, who co-sponsored that bill, wrote in a recent press release after the one-year anniversary of the pending bill passed:
“This is an anniversary not worthy of a party. For a year, Matt Hall has refused to open up access to the files in the Legislature and governor’s office — documents that would shed light on how state government decisions are made that affect Michigan taxpayers.
“This sweeping ethics reform passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate. With the House blocking the passage of these bills, it begs the question: What is Matt Hall hiding from the public? How can our residents trust the state government when they’re left in the dark? How can we ask our constituents to be active and civically engaged when we deprive them of resources that could better aid their understanding of how the government operates?”
Hall has told Elrick he has something better than FOIA: a “Hall Ethics, Accountability and Transparency (HEAT)” plan that would link pork spending to politicians, prevent politicians from signing non-disclosure agreements with firms doing business with the state, and implement other reforms.
Again, Elrick notes that Hall's spokesman, while talking up HEAT, didn't make clear that his boss doesn't support expanding FOIA.
