House Democrats Aim for Transparency with BRITE Bill Package Reintroduction
In a renewed effort to bolster transparency and accountability within Michigan’s government, Democratic lawmakers gathered in Lansing on Tuesday. Their focus was on reintroducing the Bringing Reforms for Integrity, Transparency, and Ethics, or BRITE, a package of seven House bills that had previously failed to pass.
Originally introduced in March 2024, these bills faced setbacks in last year’s state Legislature. However, with newly elected officials taking office in 2025, there is a fresh push to bring these reforms into effect. The package targets Michigan’s longstanding challenges with government transparency and is aimed at improving the state’s ethics laws, which are considered among the worst in the nation.
Key aspects of the proposed legislation include new requirements for organizations. They would need to register with the secretary of state if they are tax-exempt and involve candidates, elected officials, or their family members. Additionally, the bills propose a reclassification of legislative staff to public officials, mandating them to report gifts and expenditures from lobbying activities.
State Representative Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor), one of the sponsors, highlighted the role of technology in facilitating transparency. “If we can track our credit card transactions in real time, we should be able to track where money is being spent in our politics and hold bad actors accountable when they break the law,” Morgan stated.
Another significant element of the package is empowering the secretary of state to seek injunctive relief through the courts in cases of alleged violations of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. To proceed, complaints must provide a detailed statement of facts to support the filing of a lawsuit.
State Representative Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) pointed out the gaps in current campaign finance reporting, which only requires periodic submissions to the state Bureau of Elections. She emphasized the necessity of addressing violations promptly: “So if a violation were to occur today, but a report is not due for another couple of months, we want to make sure that if someone is reaching out to the Bureau of Elections and saying, ‘I have evidence, I have reason to believe that campaign finance law is being violated or abused in some way,’ we want to make sure that the bureau has the teeth, via this policy, to be able to address that in the moment,” Byrnes said.
The bills also aim to increase transparency by requiring the disclosure of donors during political campaigns. Morgan stressed the importance of this by stating, “The integrity of your vote is the bedrock of our society and the voice of our people, but it’s under attack.”
Additional measures in the package include the requirement for state elected officials to disclose travel payments, event tickets, and financial information about their immediate family. Restrictions would also be placed on lobbying activities for high-ranking officials for one year after leaving office.
State Representative Julie Brixie (D-Okemos), another sponsor, underscored the necessity of campaign finance reporting for maintaining trust and transparency. “Campaign finance reporting ensures trust and transparency between voters and elected officials. That is key to our democracy,” Brixie remarked.
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