Whitmer: State won’t close down again following GOP lawsuits

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), indicated Sunday that her state would not implement new coronavirus-related lockdown restrictions in response to a spike in new infections due to Republican-led lawsuits last year that challenged her constitutional authority to do so.

Speaking Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Whitmer explained to host Chuck Todd that the lawsuits had left her without the ability to unilaterally implement new COVID-19 lockdown measures shutting down businesses in the state, which experts, including Anthony Fauci, have said is the best response in the face of rising infection numbers.

“I have been sued by my legislature. I have lost in a Republican-controlled Supreme Court,” Whitmer told NBC on Sunday. “I don’t have all of the exact same tools [that I had 15 months ago].”

“It does sound like you’re saying, ‘My hands are tied,'” Todd said. 

“Well, at the end of the day, this is going to come down to whether or not everyone does their part. That’s the most important thing,” the governor responded.

“We’re imploring people to take this seriously, mask up, get tested,” she continued. “If you’ve been around someone who’s positive, stay home. And if you do get COVID, use one of these monoclonal antibodies so that we can keep you out of the hospital and help you retain your health.”

Michigan’s Supreme Court ruled in October that Whitmer did not have the constitutional authority to continue extending a state of emergency declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, under which Whitmer had imposed the state’s stay-at-home orders.

State health officials recorded more than 9,800 new cases of COVID-19 in Michigan on Friday, one of the highest single-day totals the state has seen since the beginning of the pandemic.