Governor Extends Emergency Declaration

House, Senate move to take the matter to court
By N3 News

It seems the lines have been drawn in the latest factional fracas fomenting in our capital city.
Last night (Thursday) with a midnight deadline looming and the refusal of the Legislature to extend the emergency and disaster declaration Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed three executive orders to  go forward with the extension until May 28th. Each was signed at 11:59pm.
The 'Stay Home, Stay Safe' order has not changed at this time and is set to expire on May 15.

“Unfortunately, COVID-19 will be with us for some time. But Michiganders cannot live under a state of emergency forever,” said Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-Newaygo in a press release. “Families and essential businesses are following CDC guidelines and recommendations. We have seen that we can modify our daily lives to protect ourselves and our neighbors while going about many everyday activities, but the governor refuses to give residents any indication of when or how Michigan will emerge from this state of emergency.”

“While some members of the legislature might believe this crisis is over, common sense and all of the scientific data tells us we’re not out of the woods yet.” said Whitmer. “By refusing to extend the emergency and disaster declaration, Republican lawmakers are putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk. I’m not going to let that happen.
“We’re all in this together. Defeating COVID-19 is an all hands on deck moment for our state, and I remain hopeful that Republicans in the legislature will stop the partisan games and start working with me to re-engage our economy safely and responsibly.” 

“"I believe in science and the need to protect public health, however, I firmly believe that the preventative measures taken to slow the spread of this illness have gone too far and gone on for too long,” said 100th District State Representative Scott VanSingel in an N3 article posted Wednesday. “This is not a partisan position or belief, rather, I have seen the economic devastation this shutdown has caused and believe that we need to reopen our economy as soon as possible while being conscious of best practices in regards to sanitation health.”

While SB 858 calls for more constraints on her capacity to act, the Governor has made it clear she would not sign any bill restricting her ability to respond during emergencies and disasters. 

Meanwhile the Senate and House approved resolutions aimed at mounting a legal battle challenging her authority and actions during the current crisis.
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“Looking forward, I would prefer to see collective discussions on decisions that drastically impact the health and welfare of every single Michigan resident,” Bumstead said. “I hope the governor reverses course and reconsiders her refusal to work with or include the Legislature in these difficult decisions.” 

The Governor will be delivering an update on the state’s response to COVID-19  at 3pm today (Friday),

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