LANSING — A group with ties to the Michigan Republican Party is launching a petition drive to repeal the emergency powers Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is using to address the coronavirus pandemic.
Unlock Michigan has submitted petition language for consideration by the Board of State Canvassers.
The move comes as Michigan has seen a significant drop in COVID-19 deaths and new cases, and as the state continues steps to reopen the economy.
The initiative would repeal the Emergency Powers of Governor Act of 1945. The statute is a major source of Whitmer's authority to issue emergency orders during the coronavirus pandemic, after the GOP-controlled Legislature declined to extend Whitmer's powers under the Emergency Management Act of 1976.
Though Whitmer, a Democrat, lifted Michigan's stay-at-home order June 1, Michigan remains under a state of emergency through Friday that is likely to be extended.
Whitmer is currently using powers under the 1945 act to keep closed many large entertainment venues in Michigan, including Detroit casinos, to limit seating capacity at Michigan bars and restaurants to 50%, and to halt residential evictions for non-payment of rent, among other measures.
More: Whitmer extends freeze on residential evictions for non-payment of rent
More: Michigan barbershops, hair salons can reopen statewide June 15
The proposal is intended "to protect the rights of everyday Michiganders," said Fred Wszolek, a spokesman for Unlock Michigan.
"We believe no governor should ever have the unilateral power to lock down the state, govern by decree, and micromanage every aspect of life and culture,” he said.
The group, which would have to collect more than 340,000 valid signatures to submit the petition to the Legislature, "will be making a public announcement with more details in the coming weeks," Wszolek said.
Whitmer hit back at the move at a Wednesday news conference, saying Michigan is now recognized as a national leader in its response to the coronavirus.
"Any attempt to strip away the powers of the governor during this crisis is irresponsible, dangerous and foolish," Whitmer said.
"If we hadn't taken the actions that we had, thousands more would have died in this state."
A recent poll commissioned by the Free Press found that 59% of Michigan voters surveyed said Whitmer's emergency orders were "about right" for the situation when issued, while 33% said they were "too restrictive."
Republicans in the Legislature have repeatedly called for a speedier reopening, particularly in areas of the state where relatively few cases have emerged. They say Whitmer has needlessly put far more Michiganders out of work than was necessary, and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has failed in managing the claims filed by more than 1 million residents who have lost jobs.
If the Legislature adopted the measure, it would become law and could not be vetoed by Whitmer. If the Legislature declined to adopt the measure, it would go on the 2022 general election ballot.
The Okemos address for Unlock Michigan is the law office of Eric Doster, an attorney who served as general counsel to the Michigan Republican Party from 1992 to 2017.
Doster referred a Free Press reporter to Resch Strategies, a Lansing public relations firm with many Republican clients.
Matt Resch, president and owner of the firm, released the statement from Wszolek, a longtime Republican campaign strategist who was a partner in Sterling Corp. and is now a principal at Lansing-based StrategyWorks.
Tony Zammit, a spokesman for the Michigan Republican Party, said the party is not behind the effort or connected with it. Officials there would have to study the proposal before deciding whether to support it, . Although the party occasionally consults with Doster, he is no longer general counsel, Zammit said.
The Board of State Canvassers has set a June 23 deadline for public comments on the proposed petition language, which it must approve or reject by July 13.
In upholding Whitmer's powers under the Emergency Powers of Governor Act, Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens ruled in May that Whitmer can't use another Michigan statute, the Emergency Management Act of 1976, for longer than 28 days without an extension granted by the Legislature.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.
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Group with GOP ties launching petition to repeal Whitmer's emergency powers - Detroit Free Press
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