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Rep. Albert: Legislature continues fight to restore balance of power as governor again oversteps her authority
RELEASE|July 10, 2020

Legislator says governor’s recent actions are ‘bridge too far’

State Rep. Thomas Albert of Lowell today issued the following statement after the governor has issued numerous executive orders in recent days:

“A substantial number of people have reached out to me expressing their frustration with Gov. Whitmer’s recent decisions. More specifically, people have been asking what the Legislature is doing to restore the balance of power in our state government.

“I want to remind everyone that in late April I supported a resolution authorizing the legislature to sue the governor if she extended the emergency beyond April 30. Shortly thereafter the governor did extend the emergency orders and the Court of Claims issued a split decision in late May. It was appealed, and the Court of Appeals has until Aug. 21 to issue a decision. Among other grievances, the Legislature is arguing that the Governor is improperly interpreting the powers stated in the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945. That act was never meant for statewide emergencies and has never been used for one up to this point.

“The bottom line here is that the legislature is actively fighting to restore the proper balance of power in our state government. The proper way to do this is through the judicial branch of government, which unfortunately is a time-consuming process.

“Gov. Whitmer has shown a complete unwillingness to cooperate and work with the Legislature. Just yesterday, she vetoed legislation that had overwhelming bipartisan support and would have helped people stay in their homes and keep their small businesses afloat.

“Now she has doubled down with this divisive mask policy. The new executive order not only criminalizes someone for not wearing a mask, but also forces private citizens to take on the role of law enforcement. Besides the clear overstepping of governmental authority into private enterprise, this is a massive infringement on individual liberty. The governor would be wise backtrack her recent directives. Failing to do so is only going to inflame an already volatile political climate.

“Gov. Whitmer has tried to position herself as a bridge-builder. Unfortunately, her recent actions are just a bridge too far.”

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