Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

State Rep. Jason Woolford (R-Howell) was appointed Chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on State and Local Assistance Programs.

According to his office, Woolford is one of only two first-term representatives in the Michigan House to receive a chairmanship position.

The State and Local Assistance Programs Oversight Subcommittee is responsible for investigating any potential wrongdoing within all governmental assistance programs and ensuring the programs are effectively and efficiently serving the people of Michigan.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to begin my service in the legislature by hitting the ground running,” Woolford said. “The people of Michigan can be certain that I will use the gavel to increase government accountability and cut waste of taxpayer dollars. I expect that the Oversight Committee will be very active and decisive.”

In addition to a Chairmanship, Woolford also received appointments to the House Committee on Families and Veterans, as a Marine Corps veteran himself, and the full House Oversight Committee.

Earlier this term, the Michigan House voted to give the Oversight Committee blanket subpoena power, which Woolford's office said marks the first time in recent history that a committee was given broad authority to issue subpoenas as opposed to on a case-by-case basis.

“This is the work I came to Lansing to do – to increase government’s transparency and accountability to the people,” Woolford said. “We began the term doing that by altering the House Rules, requiring budget earmarks to have specific sponsors and implementing greater transparency throughout the spending process. This project of making government more responsive and representative of the people will be continued throughout the term by the very meaningful work of the Oversight Committee. We will provide a check and balance to Governor Whitmer’s administration through supervision, investigation, and increasing exposure of the state government’s operations. I am eager to play a part in this initiative as both a member of the main committee and the presiding member of one of the subcommittees.”