By State Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township
A recent opinion piece in the Livingston Post makes serious claims about my record. Those claims require a clear and factual response.
First, the allegation that I collected mileage reimbursement for days I did not work is simply false.
Michigan legislators are eligible to claim mileage reimbursement for one round trip between their home and Lansing per week, but only if they actually travel to Lansing for legislative work. That is true whether a legislator makes the trip once or multiple times in a week. During budget negotiations last year, there were weeks when I was in Lansing seven days a week doing the work taxpayers expect.
In December 2024, I claimed mileage for travel on Dec. 3, Dec. 10, and Dec. 17. Those were days I was in Lansing conducting legislative business. The House walkout in question occurred on Dec. 13, 18, and 19. These dates do not overlap.
Even during the walkout, I was in Lansing working and making sure the voices of small business owners and tipped wage workers from our community were heard. I ultimately walked out of session with a bipartisan majority of other legislators because the former House majority chose to prioritize partisan proposals over urgent issues affecting Michigan workers and small business owners. That decision was not made lightly, but it was the right one.
In the early weeks of 2025, the new House majority helped lead a bipartisan agreement that preserved the tipped wage credit and expanded sick leave benefits. This protected jobs and supported small businesses across Livingston County.
The writer also mis-characterizes my actions as chair of the House Appropriations Committee. My decision to disapprove certain work project requests was based on whether they met the legal requirements for transparency and accountability. Many did not.
That includes funding tied to a wigs-for-kids program. This was not about opposing the program itself. The issue was that funds had sat unused for more than a year without reaching the intended recipients. That is exactly the kind of inefficiency taxpayers expect us to address.
I have been very open and transparent about the reasons behind that decision. You can read more about it here.
Fiscal responsibility is not just something I talk about. It is something I practice. Each year, I look for savings within my own office budget. In 2025 alone, I returned nearly $12,000, about 6.8 percent of my office allotment, back to the state. Since taking office, I have returned more than $56,000 in taxpayer dollars.
Taxpayers expect honesty and accountability. I will continue to deliver both.
