Appearing at a public hearing today, Fix the Court executive director Gabe Roth told the seven members of the Michigan Supreme Court and hundreds of viewers online that the Court should adopt a proposal that would expand judicial financial disclosures requirements in the state.

That proposal, released last year, would add several categories to the disclosures, including the names of spousal employers, any boards a judge serves on, passive income, stock and bond holdings, debts and real estate holdings.

FTC gave Michigan’s disclosure a failing grade in its “Sorry State of Disclosure” report last year. The new requirements would move the state’s ranking in our list from 47th to at least 20th, if not higher.

Currently, judges and justices there must only disclose outside income, campaign contributions and gifts valued at $375 or more on a form that’s a paltry single piece of paper.

“These amendments, if adopted, would represent an important step toward greater accountability in the judiciary,” Roth said.

To read all of Roth’s comments, prepared with FTC law clerk Manny Marotta, visit this link.

The judiciary is expected to decide whether to adopt these amendments later this year.