HOUGHTON — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has received national and state backlash and criticism for her April 30 unilateral extension of her own emergency powers through May 29, 2020.

The Washington Post published an article on May 1, which stated:

“What played out in Michigan on Thursday was the latest power clash between Democratic governors and Republican-controlled legislatures, as some protesters nationwide continue to provide a cacophonous soundtrack to the disagreements. GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin and Illinois have resorted to suing their respective Democratic governors to strip them of powers. On Thursday, the Michigan House and Senate, controlled by Republicans, voted on a resolution authorizing leaders to do the same to Whitmer, challenging her executive actions during the pandemic.”

The Washington Examiner, also on May 1, published an op-ed, that stated:

“Whitmer, who was famously unable to get along with the legislative branch even before this, didn’t just privately reject this compromise. She released her staff’s email exchanges with GOP lawmakers without obtaining permission to do so. She then declared that she would continue to use her emergency powers regardless of what the state legislature decided.”

The Examiner went on to say that Whitmer “is not interested in working with anyone who might disagree (with her), which she has made quite clear throughout her tenure. It is a failure of leadership. Once again, her refusal to build consensus has upended the state’s balance of power completely. This is an unacceptable overreach that must be checked. No governor has the right to rule by fiat, no matter how dire the crisis. Laws exist for a reason, and if Whitmer can’t respect them, she should find a different occupation.”

In its efforts to point out where Whitmer’s powers should be curbed, the op-ed continued, stating that the legislature also passed a bill Thursday that would have begun reopening businesses with restrictions, nixed Whitmer’s stay-at-home order and codified most of her other orders so that the legislature would have more authority over them.

Whitmer said she would veto the bill, adding that she would not support legislation intended to limit her power to protect the state.

Within the state, the Detroit News also issued a May 1 op-ed in which it recognized the legislature’s attempt to compromise with the governor.

Whitmer is attempting to assign a noble purpose for her unilateral power grab, saying she needed to continue her emergency powers to protect health care workers from being sued by COVID-19 patients, the News stated. But the Legislature Thursday approved a bill that would enshrine that immunity in law, proving lawmakers are capable of working with the governor to protect Michigan. The op-ed concluded by saying: “There’s no reasonable defense, in a representative democracy, for a governor to strip the legislative branch of its constitutional authority and assume dictatorial powers in perpetuity.”

Whitmer’s office has quoted the governor as saying: “We’re all in this together. Defeating COVID-19 is an all hands on deck moment for our state, and I remain hopeful that Republicans in the legislature will stop the partisan games and start working with me to re-engage our economy safely and responsibly.”

In a May 1 statement from his office, State Rep. Greg Markkanen dismissed Whitmer’s allegation, saying: “”This isn’t about politics. Expecting the governor to work with a coequal branch of state government to look out for both the health and economic wellbeing of our residents is good government, plain and simple.”