Macomb Today

Sen. Michael D. MacDonald (R-Macomb) is supportive of a Senate bill that would increase oversight of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's authority during the COVID-19 pandemic and of another measure that creates a bipartisan COVID-19 panel.

“Macomb families continue to rise to the extraordinary public health crisis and do their part to save lives and protect our communities,” MacDonald said in a press release. “These reforms have nothing to do with stopping our efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 or to overturn or extend the governor’s orders. This is simply about making reasonable reforms to ensure the people of Michigan and Macomb have a voice in their government’s actions, especially when those actions affect their lives and liberty.”

Senate Bill 857 would repeal the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945. The act does not make it necessary for there to be legislative input on executive actions and also makes it possible to declare a state of emergency during periods of "great public crisis, disaster, rioting, catastrophe, or similar public emergency." The bill was referred to the Committed on Government Operations on April 28.

Another bill, SB 858, proposed to change the length of the declarations of disaster from 28 days to 14 days. It also stipulates that the Legislature would need to approve any extension. The bill was vetoed by the governor on May 5.

“It is critical to continue the battle against COVID-19, but we also need to begin the process of allowing more Michigan workers to safely return to work,” MacDonald said in the release. “The revisions in the governor’s new executive order are small but positive steps toward focusing on what work can be done safely instead of trying to define what work is essential.”

House Concurrent Resolution 20 creates the bipartisan Joint Select Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic. It was adopted April 24.