Rep. Fairbairn leads effort to strengthen legislative ethics standards
Rep. Fairbairn leads effort to strengthen legislative ethics standards
Rep. Parker Fairbairn today led the Michigan House in approving a plan to prohibit legislators from leaving office and immediately going to collect a paycheck from one of the organizations that receives grants from the utility consumer participation board.
Fairbairn said Michigan families are paying some of the highest utility bills they’ve ever seen while environmental activist groups are cashing in on grants funded by money Michigan families pay through their utility bills.
“Legislators should not be directing money to groups one day, then taking a new job with that same grant recipients the next. This is a good-government bill to strengthen ethics laws and protect Michiganders from unnecessary increases in energy bills,” said Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs).
House Bill 6282, which was passed by the House of Representatives today, would prohibit former legislators from accepting employment with an organization which receives grant funding from the Utility Consumer Participation Board for at least two years after leaving their legislative office.
“This is a gaping hole in our state ethics law and needs to be closed. This bill does that, and I am glad to sponsor it.”
A former legislator who violates the two-year prohibition would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
The Utility Consumer Participation Board is a state board that awards grants to nonprofit organizations and local governments that represent residential utility customers in proceedings before the Michigan Public Service Commission. The grants can be used to cover expenses for the organization, such as staff, attorneys, and expert witnesses.
In 2023, Democrats more than tripled the amount of money from utility bills that goes to these grants, increasing it from $650,000 to $2 million each year, with future increases baked in. They also politicized the program, expanding access to activists pushing for changes in the name of “environmental justice” regardless of how high it spikes bills or whether it results in more power outages.
The legislation passed with 88 yeas, 15 nays and 7 not voting, and now proceeds to the Senate for further consideration.
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