After pro-Trump rioters stormed Washington’s Capitol to disrupt an Electoral College vote count, several public officials and security experts in Michigan said they aren’t surprised by the mayhem.
Wednesday’s siege at the Capitol followed weeks of post-election threats to public officials in Michigan and other battleground states that left many concerned for their safety and wondering whether qualified people will want to serve in public official roles in the future.
“I’ve been getting battered and flooded with emails and phone calls and texts for months,” said Jonathan Kinloch, the Democratic vice chair of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, one of several local and state bodies targeted by President Trump and his supporters after Michigan certified the November election for Democrat Joe Biden.
Whitmer signs dozens of criminal justice and jail reform bills ⋆ Michigan Advance
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One bill, championed by state Rep. Lana Theis, R-Brighton, would require the director of the Department of Health and Human Services to seek legislative approval if that person wanted to extend an emergency health order beyond 28 days. Unfortunately, epidemics are not limited to 28 days. We should not so limit our ability to respond to them, Whitmer said in a letter explaining her veto.
Calling the time limit unscientific and arbitrary, Whitmer said everyone wants the pandemic to be over, but safety measures must remain in place. This bill would recklessly undermine the ability of the Department of Health and Human Services to stop the spread of this pandemic, putting the lives of countless Michiganders at risk, Whitmer wrote.
Whitmer vetoes 13 bills, says pandemic measure endangers lives of countless Michiganders Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press
COVID-19 takes a toll in Michigan and leaves families with indescribable loss
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed 13 bills Wednesday, including legislation she said would endanger the lives of Michiganders if it were enacted into law.
Whitmer was expected to veto at least two of the measures; both were largely partisan efforts to restrict the powers of the governor and state health officials during a state of emergency. © Michigan Office of the Governor via Associated Press In a photo provided by the Michigan Office of the Governor, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Mich., Friday, Dec. 18, 2020.
Whitmer signs bills banning water shutoffs, allowing virtual meetings by local governments
Updated Dec 22, 2020;
Posted Dec 22, 2020
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LANSING, MI - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a series a bills late Tuesday, including extensions to March 2021 on banning water shutoffs and allowing local governments to hold virtual meetings.
Senate Bill 241 is a moratorium on water shutoffs through March 31, 2021 to assist Michiganders during the COVID-19 pandemic. It would also require public water suppliers to strive to determine which households lack water service and make best efforts to restore it.
About 800,000 statewide residents behind on their water bills won’t see their water shut off, according to estimates from the National Resources Defense Council. The Michigan Senate voted 30-8 in favor of it on Dec. 10, while the House approved the bill 96-9 on Dec. 17.
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