by Scott McClallen
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed two GOP plans over the weekend.
Whitmer vetoed an eight-bill package that aimed to limit the governor’s emergency powers more than two years after she triggered a 1945 law to declare a state of emergency for as long as she thought necessary.
Rep. Julie Alexander, R-Hanover, said the bills were part of a 30-bill plan to limit emergency powers.
“With a few strokes of her veto pen, Gov. Whitmer has blocked the most basic openness and accountability that Michigan citizens expect from their state government,” Alexander said in a statement. “Voters hold their government accountable and engage with their public servants, but emergency powers limit the role of the people and the legislators they elect in truly important decisions.”
In 2020, Whitmer issued 192 executive orders, most of which were related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Michigan’s 10 million residents spent 207 days under the governor’s exercise of emergency powers.
Vetoed bills include House Bills 6184 and 6194, which seek to end some emergency powers after 28 days and would require legislative approval for extending those powers beyond that timeframe.
“By increasing transparency and oversight, our straightforward, common-sense plan would inform and involve Michigan residents and their representatives during emergencies,” Alexander said in a statement. “Gov. Whitmer’s vetoes shut people out and shield government officials from public accountability.”
In 2020, Whitmer issued 192 executive orders, most of which were related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Michigan’s 10 million residents spent 207 days under the governor’s exercise of emergency powers.
The 1945 law has since been repealed, and in 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court tossed some of Whitmer’s executive orders, although other orders through the state health department lingered.
The remaining 22 bills in the plan are under consideration in the Senate.
Whitmer also vetoed HB 6354, which aimed to eliminate a new rule that could bring a misdemeanor charge against deer hunters who fail to report information to the Department of Natural Resources within 72 hours of harvesting a deer.
Whitmer said in a veto letter she supported the bill prior to the GOP adding a provision to reduce penalties for not reporting a deer harvest, including dropping the penalty from a misdemeanor and possible jail time to a civil infraction.
“As enrolled, the bill does not mirror its original intent,” the veto letter says. “The bill was amended to limit the ability of the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resource Commission ability to collect timely, high-quality information on deer harvests, hindering the state’s ability to scientifically manage our deer population and reducing opportunities for the public and Michigan’s hunters to participate in decisions around wildlife management.”
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Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Gretchen Whitmer” by Gretchen Whitmer.
