Actionspress release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan

April 23, 2020

Contact: sam@progressmichigan.org

Senate GOP Plan to Strip Whitmer of Emergency Powers Flies in Face of Public Opinion, Health

Effort has no chance of passing, GOP playing politics

MICHIGAN — Republicans like Lee Chatfield and Mike Shirkey are planning to come to Lansing on Friday in a brazen attempt to strip Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of her emergency powers to handle the COVID-19 crisis and to form an ‘oversight’ committee that will examine the state’s response to the pandemic.

“Corporate lobby money talks and Lee Chatfield and Mike Shirkey are listening. They want our government to function at the behest of monied interests rather than the interests of public health and safety. This cynical ploy to strip Gov. Whitmer of her emergency powers during a global pandemic has no chance of becoming law and is nothing more than another dangerous political stunt,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “Once again, Republicans are endangering the lives of their members to play politics during a global pandemic. Their actions are reckless and thumb their nose at public health and public opinion. Poll after poll shows support for what Gov. Whitmer is doing to combat this crisis, including a recent Fox News poll. Republicans should be working with the Governor to get additional supplies for Michigan’s frontline workers instead of pandering to corporate lobbyists and their radical right-wing base.”

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