Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently vetoed a bill that would protect state employees who are whistleblowers. | stock photo
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently vetoed a bill that would protect state employees who are whistleblowers. | stock photo
State employees need whistleblower protection, particularly during a public health crisis, says Michigan Rep. Julie Alexander (R-Hanover).
“Gov. (Gretchen) Whitmer recently decided a policy that prohibits departments from taking disciplinary action against employees for communicating with the Legislature -- a protection that has been included in every state budget since 2006 -- is unenforceable,” Alexander said, according to Michigan House Republicans.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, state corrections officers reached out to Alexander in confidence to express “concerns about procedures that weren’t effective” and for clarifications on administration policies, she said.
Rep. Julie Alexander
| Michigan House Republicans
“Unfortunately, each of the corrections employees who reached out to me risked possible retribution from the department for doing so because of the governor’s recent actions,” Alexander told Michigan House Republicans.
The Michigan Legislature approved Senate Bill 686, which would restore whistleblower protections, but Whitmer vetoed it.
“The corrections officers who reached out to me with concerns about the department’s response to COVID-19 are brave,” she said, according to Michigan House Republicans. “My colleagues and I were able to use the information they shared to improve policies and better protect the workers and inmates in our state prisons. It’s a shame that the governor’s actions won’t allow state employees the same opportunities others have when situations like this arise.”
Alerts Sign-up