LANSING, MI -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday issued a series of executive directives aimed at ethics, including one banning state employees from conducting state business on personal emails.

“State government must be open, transparent and accountable to Michigan taxpayers,” Whitmer said in a press release.

“To continue to earn public confidence, we must set good examples and act ethically at all times. This series of executive directives underscores the high expectations and integrity Michiganders should expect from the dedicated public servants who serve in state government.”

She issued six directives to that end. One, Executive Directive 2019-5 prohibits the use of private email to conduct state business.

Private emails came up in Michigan in 2017, when Progress Michigan, a progressive advocacy group, filed a lawsuit against then-Attorney General Bill Schuette and his staff, claiming they refused to turn over personal emails used to discuss state business.

Progress Michigan applauded Whitmer’s executive directive in a press release Thursday.

“We hope this is only the beginning of the Whitmer administration’s efforts to bring more sunshine to state government,” said Executive Director Lonnie Scott.

“Under eight years of total Republican control our state government has operated in the gray area, blocked from true transparency. We applaud Gov. Whitmer’s actions to move Michigan forward.”

Other executive directives Whitmer signed were: