FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2019
Governor Whitmer Issues Executive Directives
Focused on Assuring a Good, Ethical State Government
LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today signed a package of executive directives focused on assuring good government and ethical practices in her administration and across state government.
“State government must be open, transparent and accountable to Michigan taxpayers,” Whitmer said. “To continue to earn public confidence, we must set good examples and act ethically at all times. This series of executive directives underscores the high expectations and integrity Michiganders should expect from the dedicated public servants who serve in state government.”
The directives are as follows:
- Executive Directive 2019 - 02 restores a practice first initiated by Gov. G. Mennen Williams by issuing instructions to state departments and agencies requiring the reporting of irregularities relating to public money or public property.
- Executive Directive 2019 - 03 establishes the basic policy of the executive branch of state government for standards of ethical conduct for department directors, appointees of the governor and employees within the executive branch.
- Executive Directive 2019 - 04 focuses on prohibiting soliciting or receiving political contributions in state facilities. Section 57 of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, 1976 PA 388, as amended, MCL 169.257, prohibits an individual acting for a state agency, department, division, bureau, board, commission, council, authority or other body in the executive branch of state government from using funds, personnel, office space, computer hardware or software, property, stationery, postage, vehicles, equipment, supplies or other public resources to make a contribution or expenditure or provide volunteer personal services that are excluded from the definition of contribution by the Act. Section 1-12 of the rules of the Michigan Civil Service Commission prohibits state classified employees from engaging in unauthorized political activities while on duty and prohibits the levying, solicitation, collection or payment of any type of political assessment, or the authorizing or ordering of any such activity in the state classified service.
- Executive Directive 2019 - 05 prohibits the use of private email to conduct state business.
- Executive Directive 2019 - 06 establishes the basic policy for the executive branch of state government regarding departmental and autonomous agency activity with budgetary implications. It is intended to reinforce the need for departments and agencies to examine each of their actions for any resulting budgetary implications.
- Executive Directive 2019 - 07 establishes the basic policy for the executive branch of state government regarding legislative activity by state departments and autonomous agencies. Coordination of legislative activity within the executive branch of state government is important for the effective and efficient administration of state government.
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