The Michigan legislature is finally going to move ahead on changing the state's Freedom of Information law and remove the exemptions from that law for the Governor's Office and the State Legislature. I worked in the state legislature in the 1970s when that law was enacted and the amendments were put in place because without the exemptions the overall law would not have passed in either house. Getting more transparency then throughout government was a national trend and greatly needed so the amendments for exemption where the right thing to do then. But 35 plus years later it has become obvious that the time has come for the change--whether the legislature or the governor want it or not. It should be noted that the Governor has agreed to changes and some major legislators are on board to introduce the amendments. We are seeing and hearing enough from citizens, in Michigan and nationally, that they want the exemptions eliminated and more transparency in government--including the legislature and the Governor's office. The legislature might take a look at statutory ways to get more transparency in the governing of public universities and colleges. They have a exemption from the Open Meeting Act created by a State Supreme Court decision and that has led to some less than transparent behavior by college and university governing bodies. Same with any FOIA exemptions that exist for colleges and universities, the legislature should make sure that these governing bodies do not have exemptions created in the law or because of judicial opinions. Fix the whole law now (both FOIA and OMA) and bring more transparency to governing, budgeting and operating. All governing bodies need some times to have "closed" discussions and need some records to be exempted from disclosure. Reasonable and appropriate exemptions do exist in the current law in Michigan. Complete exemption like those for the Governor's Office and the Legislature out to be eliminated.