Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been hit with at least two federal lawsuits arguing the stay-at-home order she expanded last week violates the constitutional rights of citizens in her state.
“The state has the authority, pursuant to the state Constitution and the U.S. Constitution and the (governor’s) emergency order, to impose reasonable restrictions,” David Helm, an attorney for three of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed this week, told the Oakland Press. “The key there is reasonable.”
Michael and Wendy Lackomar, whom Helm is representing and whose primary residence is in Oakland County, own a second property in Sanilac County. The Lackomars said they went to their cabin for Easter weekend and were told by a Michigan State Police officer they could not travel between their homes.
Issued last week, Whitmer’s order bans travel between residences or to vacation homes.
Helm told local media a second plaintiff he is representing is suing because he cannot travel to see his girlfriend of 14 years.
In a second lawsuit filed Wednesday, a Michigan business owner argued one could “reasonably fear that the draconian encroachments on their freedom set forth in this complaint will, unfortunately, become the ‘new norm,’” according to a copy of the complaint obtained by Reuters.
Thousands of people gathered outside the Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday for an event dubbed ” Operation Gridlock,” which aimed to clog city streets and protest Whitmer’s recent executive orders issued to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
