State Rep. Ann Bollin said the Legislature took critical action this week to restore transparency and public trust after Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson fumbled the rollout of Michigan’s new financial disclosure system.

Bollin, R-Brighton Township, said the goal of financial disclosure requirements was to shine a light on public officials’ finances and help people hold their government accountable. But instead of increasing transparency, the flawed process rolled out by Benson’s office left the public in the dark.

“This process was supposed to bring more transparency to state government,” Bollin said. “But Secretary Benson had two years and $9 million to get this right, and what she delivered was a confusing mess of unclear rules, poor communication, and glitchy technology. That’s not transparency. That’s dysfunction.”

The Legislature approved a bipartisan plan to fix the mess and make the process simple, consistent, and transparent. Senate Bills 99 and 100 create a clear set of rules and allow public officials to file standardized disclosure reports by email, instead of navigating a broken online portal. The reforms also clarify reporting requirements for lobbyist interactions, an area that had been made unnecessarily complicated under Benson’s watch.

“People deserve a transparent government they can trust,” Bollin said. “That means clear rules, accessible reporting, and a system that works. Our fix cuts through the confusion and delivers real transparency — the kind that gives people confidence their leaders are being held accountable.”

The legislation was signed into law by the governor today after receiving overwhelming bipartisan support in the Legislature.