State Rep. Ann Bollin this week received the Bob Williams Memorial Award for Policy Leadership at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) States and Nation Policy Summit, recognizing her work to bring greater transparency, accountability, and measurable results to Michigan’s state budget.
The award is named for Washington State Rep. Bob Williams, a Republican member of the Washington House of Representatives from 1979 to 1989; in 1991, he founded the conservative think tank Freedom Foundation. He is considered a nationally respected expert on fiscal responsibility, tax policy, election reform, and disaster preparedness.
Bollin said she is grateful for the recognition and proud of the work that went into transforming the budget process.
“I am truly honored to receive this award,” Bollin said in a statement. “It reflects the commitment of many people who came together to put Michigan families first. Our goal has always been to build a budget that works for everyone in our state, and I am proud that this effort was recognized at the national level.”
She also stressed that this work was possible because of broad support across the aisle. The final budget plan passed the House with 101 votes and was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Bollin said that level of collaboration shows how important it is to focus on real value for taxpayers instead of partisan politics.
ALEC highlighted Bollin’s work as chair of the House Appropriations Committee, noting that she led efforts to reduce legislative pork by 87 percent; cut waste, fraud and abuse by more than $800 million; eliminate 2,000 ghost jobs; and require more transparency so Lansing insiders and politicians are accountable for the projects they champion.
Instead of accepting the traditional approach of taking last year’s budget and increasing it by a small percentage, Bollin directed a line-by-line review of every department and program to determine whether taxpayer funded initiatives were producing results for the people of Michigan. She has also continued a detailed examination of long-standing work projects that were often carried over from year to year with little legislative oversight. Bringing greater scrutiny to these funds is an important part of her commitment to improving the budget process.
“In the House we are committed to our Mission for Michigan, which focuses on making life better and more affordable for families across our state,” Bollin said in a statement. “Every dollar we save through smarter budgeting is a dollar that can go back into our communities. This award reinforces the importance of doing the hard work, asking tough questions, and holding state government accountable so we can deliver real results for the people we serve.”
