Michigan Rep. Tom Kunse celebrates House passage of HB 4420, a transparency‑torch that would force every lawmaker to slap their name and a public price tag on local earmark requests—ending smoke‑filled‑room horse‑trading like the infamous $2.5 million Detroit horse stable. Kunse explains the GOP’s January rule that sparked the bill, vows to press the Democrat‑led Senate with “How can you vote against sunlight?” and predicts it will apply to the 2026 budget even if this year’s crunch sidelines it. Beyond the floodlight bill, he touts Republican momentum on a streamlined school budget (ditching 160 categorical line items), a $5,500 scholarship usable at colleges and trade schools, and an ambitious overhaul of Michigan’s antiquated 1951 road‑funding formula—all framed as proof Lansing can “walk and chew gum” on reform.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In Lansig. They just made some big news yesterday. I
want a splash.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Rep.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Tom Kinks dropping the hammer with HB forty four twenty
passing the House. We have like a massive floodlight, not
just a little flashlight, but a massive floodlight now on transparency,
shining it right down. No more hiding pet port projects
behind closed doors. It's transparency that I think you're going
(00:25):
to Everyone's going to love this. We could use a
dose of this in DC right now. RAP appreciate you
being here with us today. Thank you for taking the time.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
You bet, I'm excited about this, so thanks for having
me walk us through it.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
What exactly did you guys get pasted? And what's what's this?
What's the idea here?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
You know? So I've been a transparency guy since I
got here, and I have always. I don't even remember
who it was, but they said democracy dies in darkness.
Well let's let's get past that. So we passed a
House rule. The Republicans took over the House. We passed
a House rule in January and it said exactly that
if you want money for your district, for whatever it is,
(01:04):
you got to fill out this form and we're going
to make it public. Man, I love it. I love that.
I was part of that. I supported that. Then I
thought about it. Wait a minute, we should number one,
we should extend this to the Senate. And number two,
this should be the rule going forward. This shouldn't be
just a temporary House rule that when this session ends,
maybe that goes away. So we spent it took me
(01:26):
a couple of months to figure out, how can we
make this permanent? And that's what this does. That's what
House Bill forty four to twenty does. Now it's state law,
or I mean once we get into the Senate, it'll
be state law. Everything starts with transparency. If you want
something for your district, then write your name on it
and put it on the list, and we're going to
talk about it. No more last minute deals. This is
(01:48):
it's we have to start with transparency.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
And O they're finding things right now in the in
this big beautiful bill that I think even Trump is
not happy about. This process is you know, it's it's
one that's that's really stranger here in Michigan to it.
Either Reptom comes with us right now and smoke filled
back rooms, things get shoved inside, you know, bills that
(02:13):
sound very appealing on one hand, but and they probably
some of them even do some really great things, But
there's this stuff that gets pushed inside of them that
that folks when they find out not not happy about this,
would completely overturn that process.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
It sounds like that's exactly and it has to start
with that. We can't do a budget, and and and
all of a sudden, in the last minute, somebody says,
you know what, I'll vote for it if you give
me X, Y and Z. No, that's over. It's going
to be on the table. It's going to be public,
and it's There are a lot of good reasons to
ask for money for your district. You need a fire truck,
(02:49):
you need a sewer extension. You know, is there a
school that had some unforeseen Uh, we'll look at the
ice damage in northern Michigan. You know, there are valuable things. Now,
there's also splash pads, and there's also you know, a
horse writing stable in Detroit. Well there there was a
representative this year who asked for two and a half
million dollars for a horse writing stable down in Detroit.
(03:13):
Kind of thing. Okay, if you're willing to sign your
name to it and put it out in the public.
You know, I would vote no on the money, but
at least the whole world's going to see what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
That's the idea.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Just just lift the curtain up, you know, and let
people actually take a look at what's happening and they can.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Exactly transparency who. And it was unanimous in January. The
House resolution great. I was really excited, it was unanimous.
Yesterday I talked to some Democrats. They had a little
bit of concerns. We worked them through it. You know,
we're not punishing anybody. There's not you know, nonprofits, they're
still going to get their funding and what they need.
But it's going to be out in the open. It's
(03:52):
going to be on the table, it's going to be
publicly accessible. And at the end of the day, I
told a couple of people that you can't vote against this.
There's no way you can be against this, and they
realize that. So now we move over to the Senate.
I don't know what committee it is going to be
on in the Senate, but I've been very clear with
my contacts over there, and we've had some conversations. Hey, there,
(04:15):
how can you be against this.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So, yeah, that's a great, great quay.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
This should be a this should be a completely bipartisan issue.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yep. And it has been so hard. I think it
will continue if we can get Now I could see
this maybe getting a back seat to the budget. We
need to get the We need to get a budget,
and maybe we'll have those conversations. But we can still
talk about this, you know, we can still walk in
chew gum. It's not going to be applied to the
Senate for this budget, but I think you should be
applied for the Senate for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, absolutely, Rob tom Kins with the ladies.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
What Obviously, this transparency built massive for folks who are
looking for that here in government.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
But what else are you all working on?
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Since Republicans are taking control of the House here recently,
we've seen a lot a lot of moved, but a
lot of great things happening. What are you looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
A lot of great things? You know what? I kind
of as an engineer and I'm on the Transportation Committee.
I was drawn to road funding and Public Acts fifty
one PA. Fifty one is the definition of government confusing,
I mean, it's from nineteen fifty one and to try
and trace that is incredible. So I've grabbed the road
(05:28):
funding and they're letting me run with it. I think
it's because nobody else wants it. I'm excited about a
lot of things. You know, the budget, we need to
get it done and the clock's ticking on that. But
the school budget that we talked about, the school budget
that we're going to release, gets rid of the categoricals.
And what that means is instead of giving money to
the school for this, and then there were one hundred
and sixty different things that schools were getting money for,
(05:52):
and there were schools that didn't have enough money for transportation,
but they had too much money over here. And what
we're going to do is simplify it. Hey, here's the money,
go educate the kids. We want to get out of
your way. And I'm really excited that we're doing that.
And and the scholarship. We're going to try and put
in a fifty five hundred dollars a year scholarship for
Michigan kids that go to Michigan school And what I was,
(06:16):
I'm sorry if I get going on, is I get excited.
This goes to trade schools too. When this and this
concept got brought up in our caucus. The first hand
that goes up says, hey, I love sending kids to school.
That's great. I'm not going to bring about college, but
if it doesn't extend the trade schools, I'm out. And
it was unanimous. We're like, no, if a kid wants
to learn a skill, we are going to support that. Big, big,
(06:38):
good things in.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
The budget, big news, big things coming come back, Let
us know the latest, give us a get us update.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
When you have one reptime, it's always a pleasure, my friend.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Awesome, Thanks sir, you got it.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
God bless
In Lansig. They just made some big news yesterday. I
want a splash.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Rep.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Tom Kinks dropping the hammer with HB forty four twenty
passing the House. We have like a massive floodlight, not
just a little flashlight, but a massive floodlight now on transparency,
shining it right down. No more hiding pet port projects
behind closed doors. It's transparency that I think you're going
(00:25):
to Everyone's going to love this. We could use a
dose of this in DC right now. RAP appreciate you
being here with us today. Thank you for taking the time.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
You bet, I'm excited about this, so thanks for having
me walk us through it.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
What exactly did you guys get pasted? And what's what's this?
What's the idea here?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
You know? So I've been a transparency guy since I
got here, and I have always. I don't even remember
who it was, but they said democracy dies in darkness.
Well let's let's get past that. So we passed a
House rule. The Republicans took over the House. We passed
a House rule in January and it said exactly that
if you want money for your district, for whatever it is,
(01:04):
you got to fill out this form and we're going
to make it public. Man, I love it. I love that.
I was part of that. I supported that. Then I
thought about it. Wait a minute, we should number one,
we should extend this to the Senate. And number two,
this should be the rule going forward. This shouldn't be
just a temporary House rule that when this session ends,
maybe that goes away. So we spent it took me
(01:26):
a couple of months to figure out, how can we
make this permanent? And that's what this does. That's what
House Bill forty four to twenty does. Now it's state law,
or I mean once we get into the Senate, it'll
be state law. Everything starts with transparency. If you want
something for your district, then write your name on it
and put it on the list, and we're going to
talk about it. No more last minute deals. This is
(01:48):
it's we have to start with transparency.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
And O they're finding things right now in the in
this big beautiful bill that I think even Trump is
not happy about. This process is you know, it's it's
one that's that's really stranger here in Michigan to it.
Either Reptom comes with us right now and smoke filled
back rooms, things get shoved inside, you know, bills that
(02:13):
sound very appealing on one hand, but and they probably
some of them even do some really great things, But
there's this stuff that gets pushed inside of them that
that folks when they find out not not happy about this,
would completely overturn that process.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
It sounds like that's exactly and it has to start
with that. We can't do a budget, and and and
all of a sudden, in the last minute, somebody says,
you know what, I'll vote for it if you give
me X, Y and Z. No, that's over. It's going
to be on the table. It's going to be public,
and it's There are a lot of good reasons to
ask for money for your district. You need a fire truck,
(02:49):
you need a sewer extension. You know, is there a
school that had some unforeseen Uh, we'll look at the
ice damage in northern Michigan. You know, there are valuable things. Now,
there's also splash pads, and there's also you know, a
horse writing stable in Detroit. Well there there was a
representative this year who asked for two and a half
million dollars for a horse writing stable down in Detroit.
(03:13):
Kind of thing. Okay, if you're willing to sign your
name to it and put it out in the public.
You know, I would vote no on the money, but
at least the whole world's going to see what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
That's the idea.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Just just lift the curtain up, you know, and let
people actually take a look at what's happening and they can.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Exactly transparency who. And it was unanimous in January. The
House resolution great. I was really excited, it was unanimous.
Yesterday I talked to some Democrats. They had a little
bit of concerns. We worked them through it. You know,
we're not punishing anybody. There's not you know, nonprofits, they're
still going to get their funding and what they need.
But it's going to be out in the open. It's
(03:52):
going to be on the table, it's going to be
publicly accessible. And at the end of the day, I
told a couple of people that you can't vote against this.
There's no way you can be against this, and they
realize that. So now we move over to the Senate.
I don't know what committee it is going to be
on in the Senate, but I've been very clear with
my contacts over there, and we've had some conversations. Hey, there,
(04:15):
how can you be against this.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So, yeah, that's a great, great quay.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
This should be a this should be a completely bipartisan issue.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yep. And it has been so hard. I think it
will continue if we can get Now I could see
this maybe getting a back seat to the budget. We
need to get the We need to get a budget,
and maybe we'll have those conversations. But we can still
talk about this, you know, we can still walk in
chew gum. It's not going to be applied to the
Senate for this budget, but I think you should be
applied for the Senate for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, absolutely, Rob tom Kins with the ladies.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
What Obviously, this transparency built massive for folks who are
looking for that here in government.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
But what else are you all working on?
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Since Republicans are taking control of the House here recently,
we've seen a lot a lot of moved, but a
lot of great things happening. What are you looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
A lot of great things? You know what? I kind
of as an engineer and I'm on the Transportation Committee.
I was drawn to road funding and Public Acts fifty
one PA. Fifty one is the definition of government confusing,
I mean, it's from nineteen fifty one and to try
and trace that is incredible. So I've grabbed the road
(05:28):
funding and they're letting me run with it. I think
it's because nobody else wants it. I'm excited about a
lot of things. You know, the budget, we need to
get it done and the clock's ticking on that. But
the school budget that we talked about, the school budget
that we're going to release, gets rid of the categoricals.
And what that means is instead of giving money to
the school for this, and then there were one hundred
and sixty different things that schools were getting money for,
(05:52):
and there were schools that didn't have enough money for transportation,
but they had too much money over here. And what
we're going to do is simplify it. Hey, here's the money,
go educate the kids. We want to get out of
your way. And I'm really excited that we're doing that.
And and the scholarship. We're going to try and put
in a fifty five hundred dollars a year scholarship for
Michigan kids that go to Michigan school And what I was,
(06:16):
I'm sorry if I get going on, is I get excited.
This goes to trade schools too. When this and this
concept got brought up in our caucus. The first hand
that goes up says, hey, I love sending kids to school.
That's great. I'm not going to bring about college, but
if it doesn't extend the trade schools, I'm out. And
it was unanimous. We're like, no, if a kid wants
to learn a skill, we are going to support that. Big, big,
(06:38):
good things in.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
The budget, big news, big things coming come back, Let
us know the latest, give us a get us update.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
When you have one reptime, it's always a pleasure, my friend.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Awesome, Thanks sir, you got it.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
God bless
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