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Financial disclosure bills reintroduced for state elected officials

Courtesy Michigan.gov

State elected officials and candidates would have to disclose some financial information under a package of bills being reintroduced by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers.

The purpose of the legislation is to increase transparency by helping to screen for potential conflicts of interest.

Democratic representative David LaGrand is one of the bills' sponsors.

He says the bills are needed to restore voter's trust that elected officials are working for the common good, rather than for personal financial gain.

"We are running a race to be the last state in the country to not have financial disclosure," said LaGrand.

LaGrand says only Michigan and Idaho don''t have these rules.

If passed, they'd apply to elected members of the legislature, judiciary and executive branch.