Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking for lawmakers to approve a 28-day extension to the state’s COVID-19 state of emergency.

During a Monday news briefing, Whitmer said she’d be sending a letter to the legislature asking them to extend the state of emergency by 28 days, although she said “it really should be longer.”

While a state of emergency is in effect, Whitmer has the power to create executive orders and marshal certain resources as needed without legislative approval. She initially asked for a 70-day extension of the state of emergency she declared March 10 when the coronavirus was first confirmed in Michigan, but lawmakers settled on a 23-day extension through April 30.

Citing previous state of emergency extensions during the Flint water crisis and after a large sinkhole opened up in Fraser, Whitmer said extending the state of emergency during a worldwide pandemic is critical.

“We know we’re going to have to take this kind of a posture...we’re going to need to make adjustments along the way and I want them to be partners,” she said. “We’re all counting on us getting this right.”

An extension could be a tough sell for some Michigan Republicans in the legislature, who have been critical of the Whitmer administration’s handling of certain aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the stay-at-home order banning most in-person business and activity.

Earlier this month, thousands converged in downtown Lansing to cause a traffic jam around the Michigan Capitol building to protest the stay-at-home order.

On Friday, Whitmer loosened some of the most controversial restrictions, including access to garden centers, golf courses and motorboats. But a second protest on the Capitol lawn is scheduled for April 30, and organizers are asking lawmakers not to extend the state of emergency a second time.

Amber McCann, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said Senate Republicans have “not yet reached consensus on action for an extension of the Governor’s emergency declaration.”

Asked during a Friday interview with MLive whether House Republicans would not support a state of emergency extension, House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, said it’s “a real possibility at this point.”

He said if the state of emergency is not extended, lawmakers can work quickly to approve some of Whitmer’s executive orders that are necessary to protect the public.

“We have to keep all options on the table as we approach the 30th,” he said. “Hopefully we can reach an agreement on what the state of emergency needs to look like moving forward. There’s a lot of people who are frustrated across our state who feel like they’re not being listened to, and we’re trying to be a voice for them right now.”

Whitmer contends her authority to handle the COVID-19 pandemic is not dependent on an extension from the legislature: “I have multiple, distinct, independent authorities of constitutional and statutory power to keep people safe as the governor of the state of Michigan.”

But legislative buy-in is necessary to extend liability protections for frontline workers like doctors, nurses and first responders, Whitmer said.

“It’s better for everyone if we work together to get this right," she said.

Last week, the Michigan Senate voted on legislation that would create a joint oversight committee of the state’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and, in the Senate, vote on bills to repeal the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 and limit the number of days the governor can unilaterally declare a state of emergency under a separate law from 28 days to 14.

Whitmer said she’d veto the bills if they make it to her desk.

Both the House and Senate have tentative session days scheduled Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

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