LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer introduced another piece of her plan to reopen the state Monday, but Republican lawmakers say it isn’t enough.
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Under the “MI Safe Start Plan," businesses will open based on which workplaces pose the least risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission. She said construction work and other outside jobs will likely be the next to restart.
Last week, she loosened restrictions of the stay-at-home order, allowing landscapers and people who work for lawn-service companies, plant nurseries and bike repair shops to get back to their jobs.
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Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey questioned why construction wasn’t included with those jobs.
“I simply asked the question, ‘What was the hold back?’” Shirkey said. “And the answer was it put too many people back to work.”
Shirkey said he wants to see bolder action as the state moves to reopen.
VIEW: Here’s what was reopened under the revised stay-at-home order
Whitmer said he wants to work with the Republican leadership, but Shirkey says he’s not interested in waiting any longer.
“Now we are in a different phase, and we need to be comfortable getting outside our comfort zone and testing other actions now,” he said. “And to not just get our economy back but to get our security and our culture back.”
In the meantime, Whitmer is requesting that the Legislature extend the State of Emergency declaration another 28 days when it expires Thursday.
The Legislature is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday.