House Oversight Committee Chair Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Township) today issued the following statement in response to Senate action on Senate Bill 596, which provides just a 10-day notice period for earmarks within the state budget process as opposed to significantly more robust, transparent earmark reforms in existing House plans. DeBoyer and House Republicans have led the way this legislative term on needed transparency with taxpayer funded projects by passing House Resolution 14, which required that every spending item requested by legislators be publicly vetted with a real justification and be listed on a public website ahead of the vote:

“The Senate committed to joining the House in making a permanent, common-sense change in state law to bring more accountability to the people. Why is there now an effort to water down this transparency for taxpayers? By shrinking vetting time for projects taxpayers are funding, the Senate isn’t looking to streamline processes. It’s an attempt to rubber stamp more spending in future budgets. That’s the only transparent thing about this bill. It makes a mockery of real efforts to bring transparency to Lansing.

“House Republicans have delivered on making transparency and ethics reforms a priority while working towards a better process for years to come. We need to get to the finish line with real, lasting changes, instead of taking steps backwards like SB 596 does.”