January 02, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 2, 2003
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| Jennifer M. Granholm signs Orders and Directives as first official act of her term. |
LANSING - In her first official act as Michigan's 47th Governor, Jennifer M. Granholm today signed two Executive Orders and four Executive Directives that will define how the state will do business and how state employees will conduct themselves under her administration.
"These executive orders set a tone for the next four years," said Granholm. "Michigan's government will put the interests of our citizens first in every action and in every decision. We will not spend the people's tax dollars with businesses that have abused their workers or our environment, and we will do the people's work with the highest levels of ethics and integrity."
Executive Order 2003-1 gives the state's purchasing officials the formal discretion to bar any vendor from seeking business with the State of Michigan if that business has been convicted of "any offense which negatively reflects on the vendor's business integrity."
A current Department of Management and Budget policy outlines general guidelines under which the department may bar a vendor from consideration for the award of a contract. Today's Executive Order provides specific instruction from the Governor on how this policy is to be implemented. The order specifies that for the first time any business convicted of a violation of the Natural Resources and Protection Act, the Michigan Consumer Protection Act, the laws related to prevailing wages and fringe benefits, or the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act may be barred from serving as a vendor to the state of Michigan.
"With my first Executive Order, I am sending a message to those seeking to do business with this state: if you abuse Michigan's workers, Michigan's people, or Michigan's environment or Michigan's laws, you should not expect to do work for this state," Granholm said.
In Executive Order 2003-2 and Executive Directive 2003-1, Granholm laid out a comprehensive standard of ethical conduct that applies to all employees of the Executive Branch of government including all department directors, gubernatorial appointees, heads of autonomous agencies, Executive Office staff and classified state employees. The comprehensive standard draws from current state policy, civil service rules, and state and federal laws.
"Since the day I announced my intention to become Governor, I have been committed to holding state government to an absolute pinnacle of ethical integrity," Granholm said. "It's a promise I outlined in my Blueprint to Secure Michigan's Future, and a promise I intend to fulfill completely. In government, we do the people's work and the people must be able to trust that we are doing it in the most ethical way possible."
The Executive Directive outlines a number of guidelines for ethical work including a ban on the use of state facilities or equipment for personal use, the prohibition of gifts or loans that may influence an employee's work performance and the requirement that waste, fraud and abuse be reported to the appropriate authorities.
Executive Order 2003-2 specifically prohibits the solicitation or acceptance of campaign funds on any state property by any Executive Branch employee, including contract managers.
Governor Granholm noted that she will work with the Legislature to develop a more comprehensive ethical standard for all state government employees.
Granholm signed three additional Executive Directives requiring state employees to report irregularities or discrepancies in the use of public funds or property, requiring all Executive Branch budgetary activity to be coordinated through the Office of the State Budget, and requiring all legislative initiatives on behalf of the state's Executive Branch to be coordinated through the Governor's Legislative Affairs office.
