LANSING – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday she wants the Legislature to extend Michigan's state of emergency by 28 days, as she began to detail plans for reopening the state's economy.

Michigan's state of emergency is currently set to continue through April 30.

It should not be confused with Michigan's stay-at-home order, which is currently set to continue through May 15. It is necessary for Michigan to be under a state of emergency in order to have a stay-at-home order, but Whitmer has said Michigan's state of emergency could continue after the stay-at-home order has expired.

The Legislature is scheduled to meet at the Capitol on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Republican legislative leaders have expressed an interest in reopening parts of the economy more quickly, and have not said how long an extension of Michigan's state of emergency they are willing to approve.

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"The Majority Leader (Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake) and (House) Speaker (Lee Chatfield, R-Levering) have reached out to engage the governor in a discussion about conditions surrounding a possible extension," Shirkey spokeswoman Amber McCann said Monday.

Whitmer has the power to declare a state of emergency under two separate Michigan statutes. Only one of those statutes, the Emergency Management Act, requires the Legislature to approve an extension after 28 days. The other statute, the Emergency Powers of Governor Act, has no requirement for the Legislature to approve an emergency declaration of any length, but the emergency powers it sets out are less broad.

Whitmer said Monday she does not need legislative approval to extend the state of emergency. But she wants the Legislature to cooperate and extend the emergency she said, because only under the Emergency Management Act do health care workers and other first responders receive necessary liability protections that will let them do their jobs without worry.

"The powers I have do not depend on the Legislature, but the protections for our health care workers do," Whitmer said.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.