State House Right to Tackle Long-Overdue Civil Service Reform

Freedom Fund Praises Lawmakers for Effort to Make Bureaucrats More Accountable to Michigan Taxpayers

LANSING, MI, May 19, 2016 – The Michigan Freedom Fund today applauded members of the state House of Representatives for the introduction of major civil service reforms aimed at making unelected government bureaucrats more accountable to the residents they serve.

The House’s Civil Service Reform package—House Joint Resolution MM and House Bill 5677—would change the law and amend the state Constitution.  The package was unveiled this morning at the state Capitol by Speaker Kevin Cotter and Representative Dan Lauwers.

The package would give department heads the ability to fire or otherwise discipline bureaucrats who fail on the job.  Currently, state employees are protected by outdated civil service laws that make it almost impossible to remove ineffective or unsatisfactory state employees from the state’s payroll.

“Michigan workers go to work every day knowing that their job performance matters, and the bureaucrats in Lansing should, too,” said Terri Reid, President of the Michigan Freedom Fund.  “We’ve seen too often what can happen when government employees show up to work without any accountability.  Taxpayers deserve more from their employees, and this civil service reform package is an important step towards making sure they get it.”

Michigan Freedom Fund is a nonprofit organization run by Michiganders for Michiganders, working to advance, promote, and protect Michigan workers’ Constitutional rights.  For more information on the Freedom Fund, please visit www.MichiganFreedomFund.com.

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