State Representative Joseph Fox (R-Caledonia) stood for the taxpayer on Wednesday by voting for House Resolution 14, a plan designed to bring transparency to Michigan’s budget process.

“Public confidence has eroded in state government in large part due to its budget process. Every year, state budgets get bigger and farther removed from the public eye through backroom deals among the political elite,” Fox said. “Hardworking families in our state deserve better. They need to know how their tax dollars are being spent as the budget is made, not from the news reports they see after the budget is passed.”

HR 14 is a key step in House Republicans’ plan to fix Michigan’s broken budgeting system. It ensures full transparency in earmarked spending, bans for-profit businesses from receiving funds, and holds non-profits to higher standards. The resolution also eliminates conflicts of interest and stops backroom budget deals by requiring full documentation and rigorous review for all spending requests.

The push for reform comes in response to recent abuses of the state budget process. In 2022, a $20 million earmark was awarded to an ally of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who later used taxpayer funds to purchase a $4,500 coffee maker, an $11,000 first-class international plane ticket, and over $400,000 in salaries for just two employees.

“It shouldn’t take whistleblowers to notify the public of this kind of government waste. Michigan needs strong and fiscally responsible leadership from Republicans to fix our budget process,” Fox said. “This year, we will end waste, abuse, and political favoritism and finally put the taxpayers first.”

House Republicans remain committed to restoring trust in the budgeting process and ensuring that Michigan’s families, not political insiders, come first.

For more information, contact Rep. Joseph Fox at (517) 373-0825 or via email at [email protected].

###