Lawmakers Ask Governor To Reconsider Request For 70 Day Extension Of Emergency

A group of Michigan House Republicans have sent a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer asking her to reconsider her request for the Legislature to extend her emergency powers for 70 days. Among those to sign the letter is state Representative Beth Griffin, who says the governor should instead extend measures like the stay home order a few weeks at a time so as to give struggling businesses a fighting chance of survival. She told WSJM News last week she wants to hear from business owners as she and others plan for what comes after the pandemic.

“If you have any questions or if you would like to reach out to me personally, please do. Every bit of information you can give me about how this affects your business helps me do better and to represent you better.”

Griffin says as the state continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases, it is necessary to extend the state of emergency, but she thinks it should be done incrementally. Eight House Republicans joined Griffin in signing the letter, including Brad Paquette of Niles. Griffin said the Michigan House is gearing up for a vote Tuesday to decide on how long to extend the state of emergency.