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Group says it’s ready to put FOIA expansion to voters

"Michigan Capitol" by MittenStatePhototog is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The state Senate Oversight Committee held its first hearing today (TUE) on legislation to expand Michigan’s open records laws to cover the Legislature and the governor’s office.

Going back years, similar efforts have stalled. And, a brewing petition campaign says this is too little, too late.

“We’re going to the ballot.”

Lonnie Scott is with the group Progress Michigan. He says there’s too much missing from this package, including a look at who lawmakers are meeting with.

“We fully intend to go take this through the process to gather signatures and to put it in  front of voters in 2022,” said Scott.

If Progress Michigan gets enough signatures, the Legislature will get a chance to adopt the initiative, or put up its own competing version on the ballot.