Push to Open Mi Legislature to FOIA

An Upper Peninsula Republican will make a push in 2016 to open up the legislature to Freedom of Information Act Requests.

Although State Representative Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, concedes it won’t be easy.

He says the challenge is that lawmakers’ speech and debate are protected under the state’s constitution, so he’ll have to work within that framework.

State Representative Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, introduced FOIA legislation earlier in 2015 and says he’s on board with a bi-partisan effort to add more transparency to state government.

Michigan is one of two states where the legislature and the governor are exempt from FOIA requests.