LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s battle with House Republicans will continue when legislators file a lawsuit over her stay-at-home order, officials said.
Whitmer said it’s not yet time to reopen the state, as cases spike in Western Michigan and other rural areas.
On Monday, the state delayed its daily release of the total confirmed cases and deaths as a glitch in the system pushed the announcement back to the evening.
Whitmer warned Michigan residents that we’re far from reopening the state. She said she wants to reopen businesses, but much has to happen before any moves to get the economy rolling beyond where it is now.
That’s part of what’s caused the ongoing power struggle in Lansing. We’re getting conflicting reports as to when a lawsuit will be filed against the governor for her stay-at-home order.
House Republican sources said it could be Wednesday, but the Senate majority leader, Mike Shirkey, said in a radio interview it would come next week.
Republicans will file the lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims, and there’s little expectation a judge would end a state of emergency overnight. It’s likely this will end up being appealed.
On the radio show Your Defending Fathers, out of Cheboygan, Shirkey said he would support a petition effort to repeal the 1945 law Whitmer used to extend her stay-at-home order.
“I think the No. 1 priority right now is to do that, based on the citizens’ petition initiative that allows the true representative government and self government to take over, and I think I would look forward to starting that process, which I hope we do within the next couple of weeks,” Shirkey said.
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“I am happy to work with the legislature,” Whitmer said. “Ideally, we can get on the same page, but I cannot negotiate like this is a political issue. We need to listen to the experts, welcome partnership from both sides of the aisle. This needs to be all hands on deck. The enemy is the virus. There has been good work done together.”
Whitmer wants to be more conciliatory with the legislature Monday, but what Shirkey wants is for voters to sign petitions that would allow for the legislature to repeal the 1945 Emergency Powers Act without the governor’s signature. It will take time, and it’s a drastic step, but it provides a window into the rift between the legislature and Whitmer.