LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Michele Hoitenga on Wednesday sent a letter to the Senate majority leader requesting a public hearing on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s most recent appointments to the Natural Resource Commission (NRC).
“The Senate holds the constitutional authority to vet gubernatorial appointments. This process is vital for maintaining checks and balances within the government, ensuring that the qualifications, experience, and motivations of appointees align with the positions they are set to fill. A transparent hearing is crucial given that the NRC is currently facing intense public scrutiny due to concerns about its practices and decisions, which are seen as favoring special interests over science and the public good. The appointment of a recently retired member of Congress as chairman of this commission — potentially the most overtly political appointment ever made to this board — raises significant red flags,” said Hoitenga, R-Manton.
“When voters were sold on expanding the NRC’s authority in the 1990s, they were promised the panel would be driven by scientific data and expert guidance. Instead, it has been plagued by political maneuvering and distrust.”
On Jan. 17, Whitmer appointed former Congressman Dan Kildee, D-Flint, to chair the NRC. His nomination followed the December appointment of Luna Entertainment President James LaPorte to the board.
“Michigan’s abundance of natural resources is too valuable to forgo the advice and consent process in these circumstances,” Hoitenga wrote in the request.