South Michigan News

The Michigan Legislature has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to challenge the actions she has taken in response to COVID-19.

“We firmly believe the governor is acting beyond her authority and has left us no choice other than to seek clarification from the courts,” Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) said in a statement on MiSenateGOP.

House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) said the governor’s one-size-fits-all actions to deal with the coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted the lives of countless individuals.

“Local communities have been devastated, even in areas where the virus has hardly made an appearance,” Chatfield said. “Thousands of small family businesses have been shut down unnecessarily and with no benefit to the public health. And access to health care has been shut off for millions of people who cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Despite the Republican-led state Legislature disapproving an extension of Michigan’s emergency declaration, Whitmer went ahead with it anyway.

“We saw the governor ignore the law, unilaterally extend the emergency and write new executive orders,” Shirkey said. “If left unchecked, the governor could extend her authority indefinitely. Michigan citizens cannot wait that long for a path forward to regain their lives and their livelihoods.”

Chatfield said the Legislature had offered to work with the governor on the state’s COVID-19 response.

“She rejected that offer and chose to go it alone, in a way that is against the law,” Chatfield said, according to MiSenateGOP. “We have to stand up for the people we represent, their concerns and their legal rights. This lawsuit will bring everyone back to the table and ensure a better, bipartisan solution to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

According to Michigan.gov, there have been more than 56,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state and more than 5,400 deaths related to the virus, as of May 30.