Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer fired back at critics Friday, saying that she would refuse to sign any bill that would limit her authority.
Claiming that she was protecting the authority of the governor’s office, Whitmer said that she would not sign any bill that limited either her authority or the authority of any future governors.
JUST NOW: @GovWhitmer doubles down on tyranny as citizens protest her insane overreach:
“I’m not going to sign any bill that takes authority away from me…” pic.twitter.com/5IuwqWuU6O
— Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) April 24, 2020
“With regard to any of the blatantly political conversations about taking executive power away from my office, I’m just going to reiterate for — I don’t know how many — the umpteenth time, I’m not going to sign any bill that takes authority away from me or from any future governor,” Whitmer said, adding, “The powers of the executive office are incredibly important, especially in times of crisis where lives are on the line.”
After intense backlash over orders restricting travel between family homes and deeming home improvement and garden supplies “non-essential,” Whitmer announced that the state would relax certain orders even while extending her stay-at-home order through May 15. (RELATED: Michigan Governor Deems Gardening Supplies — Including Fruit And Vegetable Seeds — ‘Non-Essential’)
“We will consider this the preliminary stage of economic reengagement,” Whitmer explained during a Friday press conference. “If we continue to see our numbers decline, we can responsibly consider additional steps we can take. If we see an increase, we may have to be nimble enough to go backward on occasion.”
The restrictions being lifted will now allow outdoor activities such as golf and motorized boating — but still limit the number of participants — and the sale of gardening supplies.