Bills Would Require More Government Transparency

LANSING (AP) - The Michigan House has passed two measures aimed at making government more transparent.

Both won unanimous approval Wednesday. The bills now go to the Senate.

House Bill 5196 would require all public employers to annually post for each job classification the number of employees, total annual wages paid, annual cost of benefits and the terms of each severance agreement.

The disclosures would apply to state and local governments, school districts, intermediate school districts, community colleges and universities.

House Bill 5274 would require that all government contracts of $25,000 or more be publicly posted on local or state government websites. The information would have to be updated monthly starting June 30.

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