Michigan Governor Whitmer extends coronavirus state of emergency declaration another month, takes swipe at GOP

State of emergency and declaration of disaster in Michigan was extended by governor Gretchen Whitmer till 28th May. The extension was announced just a few hours before the previous orders were about to come to an end. The declaration follows the protest by demonstrators, loaded with guns, in the state capitol, who expressed their disagreement with the governor.

The governor also lashed out at the Republican lawmaking body for not implementing the order in the early hours of the day.

Charging the Republican legislature in a statement, Whitmer said that if the emergency state and the declaration of disaster are not extended, the Republican legislature will put the lives of people in danger. “I’m not going to let that happen,” Whitmer said.

The declaration of emergency bestows Whitmer with the powers of issuing executive orders during the time period. 

Whitmer claimed that she was authorized to declare an emergency irrespective of the state legislature’s actions.

Following the governor’s rejection, on Thursday, the Senate and the state House adopted resolutions to legally oppose the governor’s authority. Further, a bill has also been approved that agrees to a few of her orders but not the extended stay-at-home regulations, which are to end on 16th May.

The Detroit News reported that Whitmer’s office said that the governor is planning to reject the bill. Whitmer will not sign any bill “that constrains her ability to protect the people of Michigan from this deadly virus in a timely manner.”

During the early hours of the morning, protestors gathered outside the state capitol to oppose the extended lockdown orders. A few protestors went inside the capitol and appealed for the return of normalcy in their life.

Whitmer has been accused by her opponents of overusing her powers by stopping the sale of products like garden supplies. She was also criticized for her orders of a travel ban from home to other places.

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