LANSING, Mich. (WOWO) — Michigan lawmakers have approved legislation aimed at ending the practice of legislators immediately becoming lobbyists after leaving office, setting up a potential new ethics requirement that would create a two-year waiting period before former officials could lobby state government. The legislation is now before Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is reviewing the bills. If signed, Michigan would join dozens of other states with restrictions designed to prevent what critics call the political “revolving door” between elected office and lobbying firms according to News10 Lansing. House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, has made the proposal a major priority, arguing the change would improve public confidence in government by preventing lawmakers from quickly transitioning from writing laws to influencing them on behalf of private interests. “They run on a platform to help the people, they get elected … and then they become lobbyists when they leave office,” Hall said. “It’s a practice that’s going to end now.” Under the legislation awaiting Whitmer’s decision, Michigan lawmakers would be prohibited from becoming lobbyists for two years after leaving office. The restriction would also apply to governors, lieutenant governors and state department directors after they leave their positions. A separate measure in the package would prevent current and former state lawmakers from being paid to lobby government officials in other states. The bills would take effect in January if signed into law. Supporters say the restrictions would reduce potential conflicts of interest by preventing elected officials from using relationships and knowledge gained in office to immediately benefit lobbying clients. Michigan is among the states with fewer restrictions on former lawmakers becoming lobbyists. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 38 states have some form of ban or limitation on lawmakers becoming lobbyists after leaving office. Existing rules vary widely. Some states impose short waiting periods, while others require former officials to wait several years before lobbying. Illinois and North Carolina, for example, have six-month restrictions, while Florida has a cooling-off period lasting up to six years. Michigan’s current law only restricts lawmakers who resign before completing their terms. Those officials cannot lobby in the state until the date their elected term would have ended. Violations can carry criminal penalties, including possible jail time and fines. While supporters describe the bills as government ethics reform, critics argue the restrictions could interfere with First Amendment rights and limit former lawmakers’ ability to work in fields where their experience is valuable. State Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, opposed the legislation and argued the restrictions could unfairly prevent people from using professional knowledge gained during public service. “These bills are a terrible production, designed for nothing more than political gratuitous, self-aggrandizement of virtue,” McBroom said. McBroom argued lawmakers develop specialized knowledge while serving in office and said preventing them from lobbying could affect groups that rely on policy expertise. He used the example of a former lawmaker with agricultural experience being unable to lobby for an organization such as the Michigan Farm Bureau. Corwin Smidt, an associate professor of political science at Michigan State University, said legal challenges could follow if the legislation becomes law. Smidt said restrictions on former lawmakers entering lobbying roles may raise constitutional questions because they limit employment opportunities and the ability of people with policy expertise to participate in government discussions. “Closing the door” on lawmakers becoming lobbyists restricts “people who have expertise in (an) area from actually helping new legislators learn more” about a specific subject, Smidt said. Similar laws in other states have faced court challenges. In 2024, a federal appeals court struck down Missouri’s two-year cooling-off period, ruling that the restriction violated lawmakers’ First Amendment rights. Smidt said Michigan’s proposal could face a similar legal challenge if enacted. The legislation is part of a broader ethics and accountability effort in Lansing that includes changes to budget earmarks previously signed into law. Supporters argue the lobbying restrictions are needed to address concerns about lawmakers using public office as a pathway to private influence. Several former Michigan legislative leaders have become registered lobbyists after leaving office, including former Republican House Speaker Jason Wentworth, former GOP Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof and former Democratic House floor leader Yusef Rabhi. Hall said the issue is about ensuring elected officials remain focused on public service. “Lawmakers are supposed to be serving the public, but instead, they’re working on becoming lobbyists,” Hall said. Opponents also argue the legislation may not address deeper ethics problems within government. Smidt pointed to the case of former Republican House Speaker Rick Johnson, who was sentenced in 2023 to 55 months in prison after admitting to accepting cash and other benefits in exchange for favorable treatment while serving as chair of a now-disbanded medical marijuana licensing board. Smidt said the proposed lobbying restrictions focus on public perception of lawmakers but may not prevent other forms of corruption. The legislation, he argued, “gets at the symptom” of public frustration with lawmakers “but not the cause.” The post Michigan Lawmakers Approve Lobbying Restrictions That Would Create Two-Year ‘Cooling Off’ Period After Leaving Office appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less