State Representative Ann Bollin called on a House committee on May 4 to move forward with a plan designed to improve transparency and make state government reports more accessible to the public.
Bollin said that people should be able to easily find information about how taxpayer money is used and how the state operates. She explained, “People should not have to dig through layers of bureaucracy to find public information. When information is accessible, searchable, and available at no cost, citizens are in a better position to understand and engage with their government.”
House Bill 5755 would require all departmental reports prepared for the Legislature also be posted publicly on a single state website. These reports cover topics such as out-of-state travel expenses for department employees, use of state-owned aircraft, economic development funding programs, workers’ compensation and unemployment claims data, fraud detection efforts, processing times, environmental matters like the State of the Great Lakes report, among others.
Currently many of these reports are either not online or scattered across different websites. The proposed legislation aims for consistency by creating one centralized system so residents can more easily locate these documents.
During her testimony supporting the bill—which was inspired by a reporter’s suggestion—Bollin said: “I know firsthand how important it is not only to have records or reports available, but also easy to retrieve. Frankly, if they are not easily understood or retrievable, it can render our efforts ineffective. They are only as good as our ability to retrieve them.”
Since joining office representing communities in Livingston County according to her official website, Bollin has promoted community events and education programs according to her official website, recognized service by law enforcement and first responders according to her official website, advocated for transparency in government operations according to her official website, chaired the House Elections Committee according to her official website, and supported election integrity through legislative initiatives according to her official website.
The legislation remains under review by the House Regulatory Reform Committee.
