House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) doubled down on having received a sunshine award from a publicly invisible entity for having successfully pushed for transparency in the legislative earmark process last year.

The Michigan Press Association (MPA) announced last week it would not present its annual Peter Pettalia Memorial Sunshine Award to a public official leading the charge on open government after another 12 months of no meaningful advancements on transparency reforms.

The University of Michigan historical library must release the papers given to them by a deceased white nationalist under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), even though the school promised to keep them sealed until 2035, the Court of Appeals ruled Friday