LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer has again vetoed legislation that would have put limits on the ability of the state health department to issue public health-related emergency orders.
The bill in question would have capped any emergency orders issued by the Department of Health and Human Services to 28 days without legislative approval. Whitmer’s veto on Wednesday did not come as a surprise, as she has often said she would not support efforts to curb her administration’s powers.
In her veto letter, Whitmer said “Unfortunately, epidemics are not limited to 28 days. We should not so limit our ability to respond to them.”
Slightly more than $347 million in COVID-19 testing funds was tied to the Senate bill as part of an aid package signed into law by Whitmer earlier this month. She signed into law most of the Legislature-approved funding for various response and relief measures.
