Floor statements: senators trade accusations over enforcement and call for transparency on legislative grants

In statements on the Senate floor, several senators aired sharp criticisms of state enforcement and legislative grant practices.

Senator Joe Bellino (Sixteenth District) accused Attorney General Dana Nessel of uneven enforcement and criticized Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for conduct he described as partisan on public-property premises. Bellino said the attorney general issued only a warning to the secretary after an announced incident and characterized the AG’s response as partisan enforcement "from the highest law enforcement official in our state." (Remarks were ordered printed in the journal.)

Senator Runstead used his statement to criticize legislative grants often referred to as earmarks or pet projects, citing a Detroit News investigation and alleging that some no-bid legislative grants have bypassed public vetting. Runstead urged that grant requests be made public before budget votes and criticized changes to MEDC reporting that, he said, reduced transparency into appropriations. He asked that the media be given time to investigate and the legislature release grant request authors before budget votes.

Both statements were delivered during the statements period and were recorded for the journal; no formal motions or committee directives followed immediately from these remarks.

What happens next: Remarks were printed in the journal on request; policy or oversight responses would require separate motions or committee action not recorded during this session.