North Michigan News

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has asked for a 70-day extension to her emergency order amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, and Michigan lawmakers will be meeting to determine how long the extension should be. 

Whitmer has asked for an extension that lasts until mid-June, but GOP leaders prefer a 23-day extension, according to the Midland Daily News. 

“People are dying in our state. It's important that we continue to have the protections for our health care workers, and that all depends on extending this emergency,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I ask that the Legislature think very seriously about embracing this 70-day extension. It doesn't mean it's embracing a 70-day extension for every other order that I've issued.”

Many members of the Legislature support an extension of the governor's emergency power and are planning to hold a meeting to determine the amount of time Whitmer's order should be extended by.

“The governor’s declaration will expire on April 7, and it is our responsibility to consider an extension,” House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) told House Democratic Leader Christine Greig (D-Farmington Hills) in a letter. “Doing so until May 1 will allow the governor to continue her important work, while still giving local residents hope that they will have a real plan presented to them sooner than the end of June.”

But Greig said she doesn't believe now is the right time for the Legislature to meet, with the pandemic getting worse every day, especially when one Michigan legislator has died from the virus. 

“For us to come in a week after we lost a rep, when the death count keeps climbing, the number of cases is really climbing ... It's just not the time to come in to the Legislature unless it's absolutely necessary. It is not absolutely necessary,” Greig said in an interview with the Midland Daily News. 

But she said that she trusts Whitmer and that a 23-day extension wouldn't be enough. “If they're telling us they need 70 days, then I want to give them 70 days,” Greig said.

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint) also agrees with Grieg, saying the extended emergency authority "needs to be a substantial expansion," according to the Midland Daily News. 

When the Senate and House meet for their votes, they will be taking safety precautions to protect legislators and representatives. The Senate only needs 20 of its 38 members present for a quorum. And the House has said it will limit the amount of people present for its vote, according to the Midland Daily News. 

“Every possible measure will be taken to minimize the risk of exposure to legislators and staff as they do what millions of other Michigan residents are doing every day and show up to perform an essential service,” Chatfield told the Midland Daily News.