LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- Republicans in Lansing want to take away some of the Secretary of State’s oversight powers.
A state Senate committee passed multiple bills yesterday. They would create a commission to oversee campaign finance matters instead of the state’s top elections official.
Craig Mauger is with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. That’s a watchdog group that tracks campaign spending. He says a big concern is that the committee would be made up of three Republicans and three Democrats.
“I mean it’s just unlikely that they’re going to be able to reach across the aisle and agree on things in order to enforce the campaign finance laws. And if there’s no enforcement the law basically has no meaning,” he says.
Supporters balk at accusations that this is an attempt to strip power from the incoming Democratic Secretary of State. They say the commission is modeled after the Federal Election Committee.