Michigan group surpasses signatures needed for petition against Gov. Whitmer’s emergency powers

A group behind a petition to strip Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of some of her emergency powers hit a major milestone after surpassing the number of signatures needed.

The petition is from Unlock Michigan, who said it reached 400,000 signatures over the weekend.

The number needed to meet the state threshold is about 340,000, but officials said they plan to push for 500,000 signatures as both a show of support and to guard against signatures.

The group is pushing to do away with a 1945 law giving Whitmer sweeping and unlimited powers during an emergency in favor of a similar law from 1976 that does have a time limit on those powers.

Whitmer used the 1945 law in defense for dozens of executive orders she issued to fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19). There are 180 executive orders currently listed on the Governor’s website, although many have been rescinded.

* List of Michigan pandemic executive orders that are still active

* Michigan Court of Appeals rules Gov. Whitmer has authority to use emergency pandemic powers

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a Democrat now, a Republican in the past or the future. No one individual should have unilateral authority over all thing,” said Unlock Michigan State Co-Chair Ron Armstrong.

Armstrong and Unlock Michigan supporters claim Whitmer overstepped her po... (Read more)

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