Written by Quentin Turner
Here in Michigan, spring is usually a time of rebirth. Most years, the snow and ice brought on by winter is just beginning to melt.
If you’re a sports fan like me, you’re hoping for a new rookie class to push the Lions to the Super Bowl, but you can still have false expectations about the Tigers, and let’s stop talking about the Pistons.
If you also follow Congress, you know that major Congressional action is usually expected at this point. Thanks to two special elections, the House of Representatives was frozen unlike the rest of the nation. Spring is here, elections are over, and it’s time for Congress to thaw and get to work before summer recess and fall campaigning.
We have had great successes since the last Congress. As a reminder, voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 1. It’s a ballot measure that would require state leaders to disclose their finances to protect against conflicts of interest and corruption. State leaders took important steps last session, but there is more we can do to strengthen our ethics laws.
As we noted last year, the new Ethics and Disclosure Act is a long-awaited reform, but the law ultimately falls short of what voters had hoped for.
Here are the next steps people are asking lawmakers to take in the coming weeks.
1. Passing the BRITE Act will close the many loopholes left in the financial disclosure process. Although Congress finally took action in December, the law still has too many loopholes in the disclosure process. We have a right to know about the financial incentives of our elected officials and how they may affect the public’s business. Our work is not complete until we have strong and comprehensive disclosure legislation that holds those in power to account.
2. Pass the Michigan Voting Rights Act (VRA) to ensure the right to vote is preserved despite attacks on federal voting rights laws. If Congress doesn’t act to protect our votes, our states will need to take control again.
3. Adopt a national popular vote for presidential elections.
Thankfully, some lawmakers recently introduced a series of bills called the BRITE Act to further strengthen disclosure requirements and transparency. This is also a good step, and Congress should show its seriousness by passing it quickly. But we also need Michigan’s VRA and stricter disclosure laws for him.
For years, Michigan ranked last in transparency and disclosure.
As we’ve seen in neighboring states like Ohio, where numerous former elected officials and their staffers have been indicted.
It’s time for Michigan to continue its climb from rock bottom to become a leader in ethics and transparency.
Nothing feels better than warm spring sunshine. It’s time for Congress to open the windows and curtains, let the sunshine in and get to work.
About the author: Quentin Turner is executive director of Common Cause Michigan, a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy.
About the author: Quentin Turner is the executive director of Common Cause Michigan, a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy.
