Detroit Today: Wayne State University program aims to help legislatures conduct oversight
The program will offer trainings and workshops to legislators and staff, according to its director, Jim Townsend.
Jim Townsend appears on Detroit Today, Apr 6, 2023
This past week, the Levin Center at Wayne State University launched a first of its kind, national institution dedicated to promoting effective bipartisan fact-finding and oversight by state legislatures. It’s called the State Oversight Academy and it will focus on improving legislatures across the country.
Jim Townsend, director of the Levin Center at Wayne Law and a former member of the Michigan legislature, joined Stephen Henderson to discuss what he hopes to accomplish with the new program.
“When lawmakers are doing oversight, they become the eyes and voice of their constituents.” Jim Townsend, Wayne State University Law School
Listen: Why efficient government is impossible without proper oversight
Guest
Jim Townsend is the director of the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School. He says the new program will help lawmakers become the eyes and voice of the people.
“That’s really what the State Oversight Academy is designed to do,” says Townsend. “To help lawmakers do a better job of reaching across the aisle and finding facts without putting their party interests or their personal interest first.”
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