Members of the House Democratic Caucus introduced a package of reforms this week, including 16 bills and one Constitutional amendment. The measures, aimed at Michigan’s ethics and campaign finance laws, were part of a Caucus press conference Thursday.
Some of the measures are familiar reforms that have been previously introduced and passed in the House of Representatives, such as a required two year “cooling-off” period before an office holder can become a lobbyist once they leave office. The larger portion of the package has raised Republicans’ eyebrows as half of the bills create tougher regulations on corporations.
House Democratic Leader Rick Hammel (D-Mount Morris Township) stated that the Caucus agreed with what Governor Rick Snyder had called for in his State of the State address; however, after two weeks of inaction by Republicans, his Caucus decided to move forward.