Updates About Legislation

On November 1, the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bills 613 - 616, which are collectively referred to as the Financial Disclosure Package. This legislation, stemming from the passing of Proposal 1 of 2021, would require both state elected officials and their spouses to report their financial records. Specifically, elected officials and candidates will be compelled to report their income streams and assets that possess a value of $1000 or more.

This legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, noting only two nay votes from Senator Lindsey (R-Coldwater) and Senator Runestad (R-White Lake). In the Michigan House, the Financial Disclosure Package passed after SBs 613 and 614 had two substitutes approved from the more than 20 rejected substitutes that were reviewed. The two agreed-upon substitutes require elected officials to disclose if their spouse worked with a state-registered vendor, both at present time or in the past. SBs 615 and 616 were approved favorably without substitutions. As these four bills reach the Governor’s desk for signing, Michigan becomes the 48th state to require financial disclosing from their elected officials.

With the passing of Proposal 22-1, the Senate needs to adhere to the deadline given by the end of this year to pass financial disclosure legisaltion. Senate Bill 613-616 was introduced Tuesday, October 24, to keep state legislators accountable by mandating that they disclose their financial status as well as limit their total years served in Lansing to a maximum of 12 years.

However, legislators found that the bill has some loopholes. Legislators currently do not need to disclose gifts and their spouse’s financial income, which some view as joint income.

Michigan is currently one of two states that do not require state legislators to report their financial assets to the public.

On October 4, Michigan’s House passed four bills that amend automatic voter registration. This package would help to increase Michigan’s voter registration even more as recent reports show that Michigan sits at the third highest state to vote, having 77% of the voting age population vote in the past election.

Representative Tsernoglou’s (D-East Lansing) Bill 4983 would automatically enroll eligible voters through their state identification application to vote. This would include a Michigan resident’s driver’s license. House bill 4984, 4985, 4986, sponsored by Representative Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids), Dievendorf (D-Lansing), and Wilson (D-Ypsilanti), makes it more clear how to decline automatic voter registration on state issued identification. Residents would receive a form that they can return to the Secretary of State if they wish to opt out of voting.

Some legislative members were not supportive of this bill package as they claim it would take more manpower in the clerk’s office because of the additional form within the driver’s license application. However, some clerks have come out in support of the bills saying it would help their election load. This bill also was opposed with concerns it could allow some non-eligible voters to be registered, although it was argued that this identification application would filter out the non-eligible voters.