LANSING – State Representative Andy Coulouris (D-Saginaw) today announced that Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives passed sweeping ethics reforms designed to restore integrity to the State House and Michigan residents' confidence in government.
"The overwhelming approval for these measures marks a new era for Michigan," Coulouris said. "These reforms cover a range of issues that our citizens have voiced concerns about, including safeguards against conflicts of interest and the influence of lobbyists in the state Capitol."
The five-point plan that passed the House will:
- Require elected officials, appointed officials and statewide candidates to disclose their financial assets.
- Prohibit lawmakers from becoming lobbyists for one year after leaving office.
- Prohibit a legislator from voting on a bill when a substantial conflict of interest is present.
- Prohibit lawmakers from applying for or accepting grants from the state while the legislator is in office.
- Require the people or organizations behind automated political phone calls – also known as "robocalls" – to disclose their identities at the beginning of a call.
"Earlier this year, Democrats outlined our commitment to holding lawmakers to the highest ethical standards," Coulouris said. "This plan ensures that Lansing does not foster a culture of corruption."
With the passage of the ethics package, House Democrats delivered on a promise made at the beginning of the 94th legislative session that they would raise ethics standards in the House to help restore residents' trust in government.