LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan Republicans voted Tuesday to make it a crime for government agencies to require the disclosure of nonprofits’ donors and other information, a move decried by critics as shielding political “dark money” but defended by supporters as protecting people’s right to freedom of association.
The GOP-controlled House approved the bill 58-51, largely on party lines. It will go to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder following a procedural step in this final week of a frantic lame-duck session.
The vote came as another contentious measure, to strip campaign finance oversight authority from Democratic Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson and shift it to a new bipartisan commission, was in serious trouble. A committee agenda that was posted late Tuesday did not include the Senate-passed legislation – considered by many to be the most egregious among several GOP “power grabs” – after it drew opposition from Democrats and many Republicans in the House.
“This proposal would have effectively ended the enforcement of Michigan’s campaign finance law,” Benson tweeted. “I am glad to see this outcome and look forward to working with legislators on both sides of the aisle to take MI from worst to first in ethics & transparency.”
Separately, GOP Sen. Mike Shirkey of Clarklake said his nonprofit bill “protects the entire breadth of nonprofits to ensure that public entities don’t with nefarious or otherwise objectives demand the disclosure” of donors.