Holland Reporter

Nov 22, 2023

In a move to promote transparency and accountability in the state budget process, Rep. Smit has co-sponsored a measure aimed at making Michigan's budget process more transparent and fiscally responsible.

The proposed reforms come in response to concerns raised after the governor signed a record $82 billion budget this summer. The final proposal was revealed to legislators mere hours before they were called upon to vote, leaving little time for thorough review. Notably, the final budget included approximately $4 billion for new items that were added at the last minute.

Expressing her dismay at the lack of time for review, Rep. Smit stated, "As a freshman legislator, I was baffled when we were given just a few hours to review more than a thousand new pages of additions to the budget proposal before being asked to vote on them. The people in my district who sent me here to vote on their behalf would be incredibly disappointed to know their tax dollars were so callously spent."

To address these concerns, Rep. Smit has thrown her support behind House Bills 5296-7. If passed, these bills would introduce several measures to increase transparency in the budget process. One key provision is the requirement for the Legislature to publicly post any spending bill online and distribute it to legislators at least seven days before the bill advances through a legislative chamber.

Additionally, the proposed reforms would ensure that amendments to budget bills are made public at least three days before they are offered on the House or Senate floor. This would provide legislators with sufficient time to review and consider any proposed changes.

The bills also seek to promote fiscal responsibility by reining in conference committees. These committees, which write the final budget at the last minute and work out differences between the House and Senate, often add new spending to budget bills that were not previously proposed in either legislative chamber. The plan supported by Rep. Smit would generally prevent conference committees from adding new items or increasing spending on an item beyond what was proposed by the House and Senate. Furthermore, spending bills reported from conference committee would have to be provided to legislators at least two days before a vote.

While the transparency plan has been referred to the House Committee on Government Operations, it is important to note that the House Democrats, who hold the majority, have already adjourned for the year. This means that they will not be considering any further legislation until the new year. The early adjournment, which is the earliest in over half a century, was not supported by Rep. Smit and her Republican colleagues.

By advocating for greater transparency and accountability in the budget process, Rep. Smit is taking a stand for the taxpayers of Michigan. Through her co-sponsorship of House Bills 5296-7, she is pushing for reforms that would provide legislators with ample time to review and consider budget proposals, ultimately ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent thoughtfully and responsibly.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://gophouse.org/posts/rep-smit-signs-on-to-plan-requiring-greater-transparency-in-state-budget-process