As promised, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed legislation that would limit a Michigan governor's powers during an emergency.
Senate Bill 858 would have amended Michigan’s Emergency Management Act of 1976, to shorten the amount of time a governor can call for a state of emergency without needing legislative approval, from 28 days to 14 days.
In her veto letter, Whitmer said the bill goes against recommendations from public health officials, it doesn’t allow governors to properly address disasters or emergencies and would be useless now anyway since the bill as passed wouldn’t take effect until next year.
“I will not sign any bills that constrain my ability to protect the people of Michigan from a deadly pandemic in a timely manner,” Whitmer wrote.
Whitmer and the legislature are entangled in a debate about the governor’s emergency powers, since a 1945 law allows governors to call for a state of emergency for as long as necessary, while the 1976 law limits it to 28 days. Whitmer has said lawmakers in 1976 would have made the 1945 law inactive if that’s what they intended.
Whitmer called for a 28-day state of emergency on March 10, the day the first COVID-19 cases were reported in the state. The legislature later approved an extension through April 30.
When the legislature declined to extend the emergency further, Whitmer extended it on her own through May 28 – citing both the 1945 and 1976 laws. Both the house and senate voted to give leadership the go-ahead to sue Whitmer over this.
"The governor is choosing to consolidate all authority in state government for herself, setting in motion a constitutional crisis in Michigan," said State Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, in a news release. Barrett introduced the bill Whitmer vetoed.
The bill also would have required various social distancing measures and other precautions for businesses, as they reopen.
The state of emergency is not the same thing as the stay-at-home order. The emergency allows Whitmer to create executive orders – like the stay-at-home order – without legislative approval and deploy resources as she sees fit.
“Keeping everything shut down because of the decisions of one person is not acceptable,” Barrett said in the release. "Our severe health and economic crisis is not being best served by our governor’s irresponsible and reckless actions.”
COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.
Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.
Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here
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Whitmer vetoes bill that would have limited governor's emergency powers - MLive.com
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