Republican lawmakers in Michigan announced plans to file a lawsuit after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the state’s emergency declaration again until May 28.
Whitmer extended the state’s emergency declaration to May 28, hours before the original declaration was set to expire on Thursday night. Republicans had already announced that they would not approve Whitmer’s extension on the emergency declaration, but Democrats in the state claimed that the legislature did not have the authority to stop Whitmer from extending the emergency declaration.
Whitmer went ahead with the extension despite opposition from the legislature. She accused Republicans of putting lives at risk.
“By refusing to extend the emergency and disaster declaration, Republican lawmakers are putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk,” she said in a statement. “I’m not going to let that happen.”
Republicans in the Michigan House and Senate voted to move forward with a lawsuit that will force the court to clarify Whitmer’s powers. If she is not allowed to extend the emergency declaration, her executive orders, including her aggressive stay-at-home orders, will be voided.
The lawsuit plans were confirmed via voice vote and do not require a signature from Whitmer. She has vowed to veto any legislation that aims to curb her authority. The Republican-controlled House and Senate have been feuding with Whitmer throughout the pandemic.
Thursday’s legislative session also brought armed protesters to the state capital building in Lansing. The protests have been consistent for the past several weeks as frustrated citizens demand that Whitmer reopen the state.
As of Thursday, the state had 41,279 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,789 related deaths.
