Michigan House Republicans introduced a bill Tuesday to toughen the state’s whistleblower protection law, in an effort to encourage government employees and contractors to report malfeasance and misfeasance.
GOP leaders said whistleblower protection language has been diluted in recent budgets while Democrats controlled state government.
Representative Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Township), who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said tougher penalties are needed because the existing law is so weak it leaves employees and contractors vulnerable to intimidation by supervisors.
“There’s no teeth there,” he said. “There’s no deterrent there to prevent someone in a position of power from putting their thumb on an employee and intimidating them into not doing the right thing.”
DeBoyer also said committee members have had individual conversations with employees and contractors who did not want to go public with their issues because they were afraid of the repercussions.
“They’re our best asset to make our departments operate better and if they won’t come and talk to us. It’s a concern,” he said.
Representative John Roth (R-Interlochen), who chairs the House Appropriations Human Services Subcommittee, said it is also a budget issue.
“It’s a problem,” he said. “We need that full information so we can make a solid, very appropriate decision on dollars that are spent, so that culture has to stop.”
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