EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University trustee Mike Balow says he was revoked of his credentials to attend the prestigious Mackinac Policy Conference after refusing to sign the university's new code of ethics.
- An MSU trustee says he lost conference credentials for not signing new ethics code.
- Balow calls the policy "petty" and "retaliatory" and plans to attend at his own expense.
- The dispute crosses party lines with Republican and Democratic trustees affected.
WATCH: TWO MSU TRUSTEES LOSE MACKINAC CONFERENCE ACCESS OVER ETHICS CODE STANDOFF
Balow, a Republican trustee, told FOX 47 News that he was notified Monday morning that his credentials were revoked, along with those of Democratic trustee Dr. Rema Vassar.
"I was one of the critics of it because I view it as a restriction on us being able to do our job... To ask the hard questions and to dissent and to remember that we were put there by the people," Balow said during an interview on Zoom early Tuesday evening.
The controversy stems from MSU's recent changes to its trustee code of ethics, which Balow argues conflicts with the constitutional oath trustees take when assuming office.
WATCH: "I WAS PUT HERE TO DO A JOB, NOT BE A FAN": MSU TRUSTEE BLASTS NEW ETHICS CODE
"We don't work for or at MSU. We don't draw a salary. We're there to conduct oversight," he explained.
Balow said he couldn't sign the code because he believes trustees should be free to speak out on controversial issues if they're in the public interest, without fear of retribution.
"So I think the policy is somewhat retaliatory. And I think this kind of proves it because nobody has done anything wrong. We just wouldn't sign what I view to be a loyalty oath," Balow said.
WATCH: MSU TRUSTEES VOTE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IM WEST DEMOLITION
The Mackinac Policy Conference is a major annual gathering where Michigan's elected officials and business leaders convene to discuss state issues.
Balow emphasized that losing access hurts MSU's interests.
"The school really is the one hurt here," Balow said. "You can't even enter the property without a credential. So those meetings are all kind of shut off and all those informal conversations that happen on the porch, which are definitely worth something."
Despite losing his official credentials, Balow plans to attend some conference events at his own expense.
"I'll go up to the island because if anyone has been there, they know that there's like an official schedule events. And then there's a lot of informal events and hosted things in the evening," he explained.
The dispute has created an unusual bipartisan alliance.
Board Chair Brianna Scott, who co-wrote the ethics resolution, has maintained that the code doesn't prevent trustees from communicating with the public or conducting oversight.
But Balow disagrees, pointing to the timing of the policy changes.
"[Scott] also admits that the very reason we did this is because a couple of us had wrote op-ed pieces where we were giving our opinions on certain things. And it was that that drove these very changes," Balow said.
Balow expects more restrictions to follow and said he's investigating potential legal challenges to the policy.
"This is kind of what you can expect to see, I think," he said. "The alternative would be giving in and not doing what we were elected to do. And that's just not an option."
The trustee encouraged anyone concerned about MSU's transparency to pay attention to the issue and support overturning the policy "so trustees can be free to do their jobs."
FOX 47 News has reached out to MSU, Dr. Vassar and Chair Scott for comment on the credential revocations.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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