Whitmer’s 2,000 days of FOIA inaction

Michigan’s public records law currently contains a significant loophole that exempts the governor’s office from Freedom of Information Act requests. Although Governor Gretchen Whitmer pledged in 2018 to unilaterally open her administration to scrutiny, she has failed to fulfill this promise after two thousand days in office. This persistent lack of transparency stands in stark contrast to the voluntary disclosures of other states and undermines the public’s ability to monitor executive decision-making effectively. The absence of mandatory transparency is particularly concerning given the high-stakes nature of recent state crises, such as the Flint water scandal and the COVID-19 pandemic. These events highlight the critical need for citizens to access records to understand who knew what and when. While the governor provides some sanitized summaries, this selective sharing falls short of the comprehensive accountability promised. Without legal requirements, transparency remains dependent on the goodwill of individual leaders rather than being a guaranteed right for the public. This article is vital to open data discussions because it illustrates the gap between technical availability and legal enforceability. True open government requires codified policies that remove discretion from officials, ensuring that data is accessible by default. Closing these legal loopholes is essential for maintaining democratic integrity and trust. Ultimately, sustained legislative action is needed to mandate that government operations remain fully visible, preventing history from repeating itself through obscured decision-making.

Source: mackinac.org
Published on 2024-10-31

Open Data

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