LANSING, Mich. — The Republican-led Michigan House has refused to extend the state’s coronavirus emergency declaration.
Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield said they instead, "voted to replace the state’s current controversial state of emergency and unilateral executive orders with similar legislation that protects the emergency measures put into place over the last two months."
Chatfield said by putting the current executive orders into legislation allows for future revisions and extensions to, "be worked out in a better public, bipartisan process."
The House also voted Thursday to authorize a lawsuit challenging Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s authority and actions to combat the pandemic. The step came as hundreds of conservative activists returned to the Capitol to denounce Whitmer’s stay-at-home measure.
Whitmer wanted lawmakers to extend her emergency declaration by 28 days. It expires late Thursday. But at the same time, she has said the state of emergency will continue regardless because of another law giving her broad powers to act.
The state of emergency was first declared back in March and provides the basis for more than 60 executive orders that have been issued to quickly address the spread of COVID-19. State law only allows such a declaration to last 28 days without approval from the legislature.
This state of emergency was extended by 23 days through April 30, when the legislature voted down Whitmer's request for a 70-day emergency. The state of emergency has provided the basis for more than 60 executive orders from the governor, including closing schools and the stay at home order.
The state of emergency is not the same as the stay at home order, which is in effect until May 15.
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