LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Feb. 7, 2022) – Two years after the start of “Stay Home, Stay Safe” in Michigan, the impact of COVID 19 has been overshadowed by events in Ukraine, high gas prices, inflation and more.
The autonomy that health department officials had over any oversight from elected governmental leaders in Michigan in making decisions about shutdowns, lockdowns and mandates was a bone of contention during the past 24 months. Some say this autonomy was set up to prevent these health officials from being influenced by politics, but for House Representative Luke Meerman, it made them unaccountable for their actions and decisions.
“How long can a health officer act without the people’s voice being at the table, through their county commissioners?” Meerman said on “WHTC Talk of the Town” during his monthly appearance on Monday. “Is it six months, is it 28 days, is it two years? I agree that these things become politicized, but what is the alternative then? To allow somebody who is unelected to continue to make these kinds of decisions?”
Last month, the second-term Republican lawmaker from Coopersville introduced legislation that would allow county boards to remove local health officers, but Meerman admits that, even if the House and Senate approve his bill, it would probably be vetoed by Governor Whitmer.
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