LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said attempts to strip her of her powers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic “irresponsible, dangerous and foolish.”
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During her coronavirus press briefing Wednesday, Whitmer called out Republican lawmakers who have tried limit her authority in handling the pandemic.
“We still see attempts to take away my authority to take these actions, which made it all possible in the first place,” Whitmer said. “I want to be very clear: Any attempt to strip away the powers of the governor during this crisis is irresponsible, dangerous and foolish.”
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Back in early May, Lawmakers promised legal action if Whitmer extended the state of emergency without the approval of legislators. They followed through on that promise, but the Michigan Court of Claims ruled Whitmer has the authority to keep the state under a state of emergency without legislative approval.
Whitmer said Michigan has been able to flatten the curve of new COVID-19 cases and move to phase four of the reopening plan because of those executive actions.
“I think that, in the midst of a global pandemic, it’s really important that we refrain from letting public health become a political football,” Whitmer said. “It’s dangerous. Lives are lost when that happens. The fact that even wearing a mask has become a political statement is really unfortunate, and I’m hopeful that we can show the world that that doesn’t have to be the case.”