Judge Backs Michigan Gov. Whitmer in Battle Over Emergency Power

May 21, 2020, 5:14 PM

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer scored a big victory Thursday.

Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens sided with the governor in a lawsuit in which Republican state lawmakers challenged her emergency powers during the pandemic, JC Reindl of the Detroit Free Press reports. Her ruling ends the suit. 

The lawsuit argued that Whitmer's emergency orders, including the stay-home one, are invalid because they lack statutory authority. But the judge said Whitmer acted legally under a 1945 law called the Emergency Powers of Governor Act.

The governor's office issued a statement Thursday evening:

"Today’s decision recognizes that the Governor’s actions to save lives are lawful and her orders remain in place. She will continue to do what she’s always done: take careful, decisive actions to protect Michiganders from this unprecedented, global pandemic. We owe it to our front line heroes who have been putting their lives on the line to pull together as a state and work as one team to stop the spread of this virus."


Read more:  Detroit Free Press


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