Action strikes unconstitutional law abused by governor during pandemic

State Rep. David Martin and the Michigan House today approved the Unlock Michigan citizens’ initiative to repeal the unconstitutional state law Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used to hold unilateral power over the people of Michigan during the early portion of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The people of Michigan brought this forward because they had a real problem with the unilateral power the governor was executing and she refused to listen,” said Martin, of Davison. “I heard people’s concerns loud and clear. Our system of government was founded on the principle of checks and balances to ensure no person would grab too much power, and the governor stepped way over that line. We must restore the balance of power and put our state’s leaders in a position to work together to solve problems we face in the future.”

During the pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act (EPGA) as justification to indefinitely extend Michigan’s state of emergency and the executive powers she used to issue heavy-handed orders. The Michigan Supreme Court declared the EPGA unconstitutional last October and the Legislature voted in December to remove the unconstitutional law from the books. However, Gov. Whitmer vetoed the measure.

Even before the Supreme Court decision was issued, concerned citizens started the Unlock Michigan petition to repeal the EPGA, submitting more than half a million signatures in October. After several delays, the initiative finally reached the Legislature this month.

Today’s vote in the House had bipartisan support. Now that both the House and Senate have approved the measure, the law will be repealed.