The changes above are designed to fulfill FOIA’s original purpose: to provide the people of Michigan with information they need to hold their government accountable and fully participate in the democratic process. These amendments go beyond making incremental changes to address individual issues and are designed to create systemic change. By significantly altering the incentive structure of FOIA, they encourage public bodies to take FOIA seriously and to provide information more quickly and at a lesser expense. If adopted, these amendments could transform Michigan from a state with a longstanding and poor record of public transparency, to one of the more transparent states in the country.