It’s national Sunshine Week – time when officials and reporters shed light on access to public information. In Michigan, candidates for state office are using the opportunity to announce how they would improve transparency.
Attorney General Bill Schuette is a Republican candidate for governor.
His plan would subject the governor’s office to the Freedom of Information Act and ban gifts from lobbyists to elected officials.
“It would raise us up," said AG Schuette. "It would bring us into the 21st century. And it’s about time and people have been in or around government for a long time and doing nothing, now it’s time to do something. Let’s have some light shine.”
Democrat Jocelyn Benson is running for Secretary of State. She called for more campaign finance disclosure requirements.
Her plan includes a requirement that unions and corporations publicly file reports in certain cases.
She also wants to require public officials to file financial disclosure statements.
Benson says people have a right to know how politicians get their money.
“It’s the job of the Secretary of State to amplify people’s voices in the political process, stand up for them, make sure they have a voice.”
