State Representative Brad Paquette is hoping to use the new legislative session to clean Lansing up a bit with some ethics reforms.
Paquette tells us a bipartisan cohort of lawmakers has been talking about how to make state government more transparent and less dominated by lobbyists. One thing that could be addressed is campaign financing.
“Dark money,” Paquette said. “How millions of dollars, legislators can raise millions of dollars, and folks can donate and it’s all under the radar. Obviously, this influences how they lead. A lot of leadership gets all this money, dark money, and then it influences how they go about their business in Lansing and we need to bring some light to that dark money.”
Paquette also wants to address the lawmaker-to-lobbyist pipeline, in which state lawmakers often become lobbyists soon after leaving office.
“We also have reforms in mind on how lobbyists can lobby. A lot of them give gifts, or they buy fancy dinners, and alcohol, and put up trips and all these different things, and that has big impact, too, that we need to bring some light to or ban, in my opinion.”
Paquette says he and legislative partners will also seek to make the Freedom of Information Act apply to the governor’s office and Legislature.
Paquette tells us a strong cohort has already been meeting on these issues and will soon begin making proposals soon to improve how business is done in Lansing. He says moves like these would help to make the state Capitol a more wholesome place.
