This article originally appeared in The Detroit News April 14, 2026.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is celebrating government transparency this month, and she has a proclamation to prove it. Whitmer designated April as “Government Records and Information Management Month.” The proclamation encourages Michigan agencies to review their information management practices and follow laws governing public records.
“Good records and information management practices are essential to the effective and efficient operation of government,” the governor says in her proclamation. Good practices promote government transparency and responsible use of taxpayer funds, she says.
Before open government advocates break out the bubbly, they should note that they’re sharing April with other causes. Michiganians will also celebrate “Safe Digging Month,” “Career Exploration and Awareness Month,” “Native Plant Month” and “Distracted Driving Awareness Month.” The governor issued 24 proclamations for April alone, and is on pace for 290 this year.
Whitmer’s record makes this month’s open-government gala an empty celebration.
On balance, Whitmer will be remembered for her transparency failures. Her office has restricted, not expanded, government transparency. In her first term, two of Whitmer’s agency heads encountered controversy and resigned — Health and Human Services director Robert Gordon and Unemployment Insurance Agency director Steve Gray. The governor gave both of them severance packages but insisted on gag orders that prohibited any discussion of their departures.
Whitmer’s record isn’t merely marked by inaction. Her team has actively obstructed transparency. Her chief legal counsel directed state agencies to flag public records requests that involve the governor. Whitmer suspended portions of public records law during Covid-19, prompting a harsh rebuke from The New York Times. And Whitmer’s health department fought against releasing records about nursing home Covid deaths.
As a candidate, Whitmer promised government transparency, and she did deliver on some items. Once in office, the governor directed executive branch employees to be “open, transparent, and accountable to Michigan taxpayers.” She prohibited her employees from sidestepping disclosure rules by using personal email accounts to conduct state business. Whitmer voluntarily discloses information about her public calendar, travel and personal finances.
The governor is also right in her proclamation — good records management is a prerequisite of government transparency. The Michigan Constitution says all records regarding public finances “shall be public records and open to inspection.” And state law guarantees people “are entitled to complete information regarding the affairs of government.”
There are a number of bills pending in the Legislature that would improve government transparency in Michigan. Here’s hoping the governor and lawmakers can reach an agreement.
That said, Whitmer need not wait for lawmakers; she could take unilateral action to reinforce her April proclamation. Whitmer anticipated legislative gridlock when she ran for governor in 2018 and famously pledged to make records in her office available to the public regardless of legislative action. Now more than seven years in office, she has yet to keep this promise. The governor could also direct her state agencies to suspend the use of nondisclosure agreements, whether they’re used in personnel matters or to shield economic development deals from scrutiny.
Whitmer’s April proclamation is a start. But, as Benjamin Franklin said, “Well done is better than well said.”
