Bill Text: MI HCR0008 | 2023-2024 | 102nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A concurrent resolution to urge the Michigan Supreme Court to amend the Code of Judicial Conduct to require Michigan judges to make broader financial disclosures.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2023-10-25 - Referred To Committee On Government Operations [HCR0008 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2023-HCR0008-Introduced.html
house concurrent resolution no. 8
Reps. Rheingans, Stone, MacDonell, Morgan, Conlin, Coffia, McFall, Byrnes, Skaggs, Price, Hope, Wilson, Paiz, Dievendorf, Brabec, McKinney and Martus offered the following concurrent resolution:
Whereas, In 2022, Michigan voters ratified Proposal 1, which amended Article IV, § 10 of the Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963 to require all members of the Legislature, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General to make annual financial disclosures. These officials are now required to make a detailed series of financial disclosures which are to be filed with the Department of State and made available to the public online; and
Whereas, Proposal 1 does not apply to members of the judiciary. However, it remains the case that judicial officers make decisions that affect the state. Moreover, transparency is in the best interest of the public. Voters and litigants should be aware of any potential financial conflicts of interest that judges have when ruling on cases; and
Whereas, While the Code of Judicial Conduct currently requires that Michigan judges make certain financial disclosures, it does not require disclosures that are as thorough or as easily scrutinized as those required by Proposal 1. For example, the Code of Judicial Conduct does not require that judges disclose their existing assets, the sources of their unearned income, or their liabilities. It also does not require that the disclosures that judges make be made available to the public online; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we urge the Michigan Supreme Court to amend the Code of Judicial Conduct to require that supreme court justices, judges of the court of appeals, and judges of any other court they deem necessary, make annual financial disclosures to at least the same degree of thoroughness, and with the same level of public accessibility, as the disclosures ratified by Proposal 1 into Article IV, § 10 of the Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Michigan Supreme Court.
