Roth says process may take longer, but is more transparent and understandable for taxpayers

State Rep. John Roth on Wednesday announced his support for legislation that would enshrine House Republican budget reform in state law. The plan would require all budget projects – legislatively directed spending items (LDSI) – to be publicly sponsored by a lawmaker at the onset of the budget process.

“House Republicans are overhauling the way Michigan does budgeting,” said Roth, R-Interlochen. “It’s not popular among Lansing insiders, especially those who have benefited from our corrupt process for decades. But we’re here to serve our communities back home, not lobbyists and special interest groups. Adding these earmark requirements will make the budget process take longer. It will take time to sort through all the requests. But it shouldn’t matter how long it takes so long as it’s a transparent process open to the public. The people of Michigan deserve to see how the sausage gets made, and I don’t care if we ruffle a few ‘ultimate Lansing insider’ feathers in the process.”

The plan, House Bill 4420, comes after years of shady budget deals in Lansing. Recent state budgets have included billions of dollars in pet projects, and no one seems to know where they came from or how they ended up in the final budgets. The shady deals have often led to rampant misuse of taxpayer dollars.

In 2022, a $20 million earmark was awarded to a political ally of legislative Democrats. The Detroit businesswoman used the funds to purchase a $4,500 coffee maker, an $11,000 first-class international plane ticket, and $408,000 in salaries for herself and one other employee.

“For decades, politicians in Lansing have embraced corruption and cut corners during the budget process,” Roth said. “We’ve seen politically connected people and communities receive special carveouts because of who they knew, not based on the merits of what they were asking for. That scandalous backroom dealing is done under House Republican leadership.”

HB 4420 would require all projects to be publicly sponsored by a lawmaker before they receive consideration in the budget process, similar to a current House rule enacted earlier this year. Under the plan, legislators would be required to fill out a detailed form that includes the purpose of the grant/project, how it provides a public benefit, and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. They must also disclose any potential conflicts of interest. All requests would have to be made publicly available by April 1 to be considered in that year’s budget.

The plan now heads to the House floor for an expected vote.

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