SCR 15 – 72-Hour Budget Transparency

I believe taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent — and lawmakers have a duty to read the bill before they vote on it.

This year, the budget was handed to members with mere hours to review the final product, which was more than a thousand pages that accounted for over $80 billion of spending. This has been the consistent practice on all four annual budgets during my time in the legislature. If lawmakers cannot be sure what is in the budget, the public has no real chance to know either.

That is why I offered Senate Concurrent Resolution 15, which would adopt Joint Rules requiring conference reports — including the final budget bills — to be posted in full on the Michigan Legislature’s website for 72 hours before a vote can be scheduled.

Three days is not a delay for its own sake. It is time for members to read the bill, time for the public to see it, and time to catch errors before they become law.

If lawmakers are unsure of what is in the budget, how can families know what the government is doing with their money? This measure is about transparency, fairness, and protecting the public’s right to an open process.

Please use the form below to share your opinion. Your voice makes a difference.