Michigan House Ethics and Oversight Committee Holds Hearing on Portions of B.R.I.T.E. Act

In March, Dykema’s Government Policy Advocacy team wrote about Michigan’s Bringing Reforms in Integrity, Transparency and Ethics (B.R.I.T.E) Act, which would increase reporting and disclosure requirements for lobbyist spending and require additional financial disclosures from lawmakers and other state-level public officials.

On Thursday, April 18, 2024, the House Ethics and Oversight Committee held a hearing to discuss two of the seven bills that are part of the B.R.I.T.E. Act: House Bill 5583 and House Bill 5586. The bills seek to provide immediate injunctive relief for campaign finance violations and prevent the revolving door from legislator to lobbyist by putting a one-year prohibition on lobbying activities following time in public office for various state elected officers.

Both Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson testified in support of the legislative bill package.

• • • Attorney General Dana Nessel: “Dark money threatens the impartiality of elected officials in all branches of government, and as we have seen far too often, lends itself to political corruption.” “Democracy dies in the darkness. If we can’t stop the influence of special interest money we can shine a light on it, and the BRITE package before us today is a solid first step toward restoring the public’s trust in Michigan politics.”[1]
    • Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson: "For far too long, we've seen scandals that illuminate a culture of corruption that does not reflect the values that the members of this committee, that I, that the attorney general and so many others I believe share." "That reality harms our ability to consistently enact many important reforms in this town. ... It is long past time Michigan goes from worst to first in our ethics and transparency."[2]

The committee also heard testimony in support of the legislative package from several organizations including:

• • • Voters Not Politicians
    • Common Cause
    • Public Citizen
    • American Promise

The House Ethics and Oversight Committee is expected to hold additional hearings on the B.R.I.T.E legislative package in the near future.

These bills are not final and are subject to revision as the legislative process occurs. Of course, Dykema’s Government Policy Advocacy team is closely monitoring the progress of these bills and has the ability to engage lawmakers about potential amendments or to discuss any questions you may have.

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[1] Wimmer, D. (2024, April 18). AG Nessel Testifies in Support of BRITE Act. Michigan Department of Attorney General. https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2024/04/18/ag-nessel-testifies-in-support-of-brite-act

[2] Durnbaugh, E. (2024, April 18). BRITE Act Bills Get Day In The Sun During First Committee Hearing. Gongwer.com. https://www.gongwer.com/news/?article_ID=630780101