Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer distanced herself from a much-criticized decision to award a no-bid contract to two Democratic firms to handle the state’s coronavirus contact tracing.
But a senior adviser in the Michigan Department of the Health and Human Services said that the executive office of the governor [EOG] gave the contract a “green light,” a newly public email shows.
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After Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued executive orders forcing the closure of many of the state’s businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic, small-businessman Erik Kiilunen said he saw $600,000 in contracts disappear overnight.
Kiilunen, of Ahmeek, Michigan, runs Kiilunen Manufacturing Group, which makes construction materials.
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The ongoing saga of Owosso barber Karl Manke’s battle against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order to shutter businesses during the coronavirus pandemic turned another page on Thursday.
Shiawassee County Circuit Judge Matthew J. Stewart determined state attorneys failed to convince him Manke’s refusal to comply with the governor’s order posed an imminent threat to the public. As a result, Manke’s shop on Owosso’s Main Street will remain open and the 77-year-old barber will be cutting hair for the foreseeable future.
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A Michigan lawmaker has requested an investigation into Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-84, which forces some nursing homes below an 80 percent capacity to create a unit dedicated to caring for residents with COVID-19.
That order expires after Wednesday.
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Throngs of people waited for as long as three hours in an Owosso downpour to see Karl Manke, a local 77-year-old barber, speak on Monday afternoon.
Manke has gained celebrity status and a certain amount of notoriety for his refusal to adhere to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s shutdown of what are deemed non-essential businesses. Manke’s barbershop falls under that rubric as defined by the governor’s executive orders.
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A Michigan Court of Claims Judge on Friday heard the first oral argument in which the GOP-led legislature challenged Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s authority to extend her emergency orders unilaterally.
The legislature filed its lawsuit on May 6.
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About 250 protesters braved a downpour of rain Thursday to object to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders on the Capitol lawn.
Protesters clad in rain gear brought signs wrapped in plastic to share their displeasure with the first-term Democrat’s response to COVID-19.
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Michigan residents went out more last week, according to cell phone data reported by The New York Times, even as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer continues to push her stay-at-home executive orders during the coronavirus pandemic.
Approximately one million more people began to move around the state between May 1 and MAy 8, to move around the state again, The NYT reported.
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Amid signs that at least a partial reopening of Michigan’s economy could take place this month, the state’s weekly unemployment claim filings continued to drift back toward normalcy, although they remain far above numbers seen before the COVID-19 crisis.
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The Michigan legislature adjourned Thursday without extending Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s state of emergency.
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State Rep. Ben Frederick, R-Owosso, today asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to allow Michigan hospitals and other medical providers to perform elective surgeries.
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The Senate passed two bills by a 22-15 vote Friday that would curb Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency powers, but she’s vowed a veto.
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At the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the public was willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the appropriate medical, public health, and government authorities. The public trusted these pandemic policymakers would use solid scientific evidence as the basis to implement the reasonable measures needed to “flatten the curve” and protect the public health.
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Michigan renters unable to manage their monthly payment are being granted relief through May 15.
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While Michiganders protested on Thursday the authoritarian like measures Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has implemented during the coronavirus pandemic, a person trying to unseat Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) had harsh things to say about them.
Shannon Freshour, a progressive who is competing against two other Democrats for the party’s nomination, tweeted her true feelings about the protesters.
“Republicans everywhere want people to die while claiming to be pro-life,” Freshour said. “Also um gridlock would be an effective tool if there was traffic but y’all only blocking yourselves and your fellow hate-mongering, confederate supporting traitors.”
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday night signed Executive Order 2020-46 to allow the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) to buy back spirits from eligible bars and restaurants that she ordered to close temporarily in response to COVID-19.
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Michigan has 15 weeks before the state’s unemployment reserves are depleted.
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Two state representatives are calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to relax her executive orders to allow some businesses to operate if they can adhere to social distancing guidelines.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a sweeping executive order Monday that orders the closure of several public places in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Under the executive order, the following places of public accommodation were required to close: restaurants, cafes, coffee houses, bars, taverns, brewpubs, distilleries, clubs, movie theaters, indoor and outdoor performance venues, gymnasiums, fitness centers, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities, exercise studios, spas, and casinos.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order Friday banning all public gatherings of more than 250 people in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
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The governor of Michigan dodged a question on whether she would rule out martial law as a response to the coronavirus pandemic Friday.
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Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said the results of Tuesday’s primary will be reported later than usual because of an increase in absentee voting.
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A new Michigan poll predicts former Vice President Joe Biden will emerge victorious over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in Michigan’s Democratic primary.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is reportedly under pressure to make an endorsement ahead of her state’s presidential primary next.
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The Michigan Senate voted to reject Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s appointment of former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell to lead the Natural Resources Commission last week.
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General Motors announced Friday that it is adding more than 1,200 new jobs at its Lansing-based factories to help with the production of mid-size SUVs and two new Cadillac sedans.
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Michigan officials revealed this week that 357 people in the state who traveled from China have been or currently are being monitored for symptoms of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.
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A six-bill package introduced on February 5 aims to regulate vaping like a tobacco product and tax it at 24 percent of the wholesale price.
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Michigan Republicans said they are committed to working with the governor to avoid more budget drama, but expressed a number of concerns with her new budget proposal.
Read More Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal Thursday, which clocks in at a whopping $61.9 billion.
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Despite her insistence that she is not interested in going to Washington, D.C., Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has again roused suspicions that she may be tapped as a potential running mate for the eventual Democratic presidential candidate.
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the Democrats’ response to the president’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address from East Lansing High School, where her two daughters attend school.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in January that Whitmer would deliver the Democratic response to the annual address, which is scheduled for Tuesday night.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Wednesday night announced her Rebuilding Michigan plan to “fix the damn roads,” using an additional $3.5 billion in road funding through state road bonds without an increased gas tax.
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A Michigan group announced last week that it has awarded $300,000 to nine local organizations “working to address the needs of immigrants and refugees,” including legal services and healthcare.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Friday that they have selected Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
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A Michigan bill that would require every executive branch department and division to post the salary and benefit information of their employees unanimously cleared its first hurdle Thursday. House Bill 5015 easily cleared the House Oversight Committee and is now on its way to the House Ways and Means…
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer compared fighting “hate speech” to Detroit’s industrial efforts during World War II in a letter sent to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg this week.
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A Michigan task force established by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has recommended a number of sweeping changes to the state’s criminal justice system, including lowering probation terms and reclassifying most traffic offenses as civil infractions.
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A new survey of Michigan voters found that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s approval rating has dropped by more than seven percentage points since June.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s motion to reinstate a ban on flavored vaping nicotine products has been denied by the Michigan Supreme Court.
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Michigan’s charter schools are breathing a sigh of relief after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 154 a mere days before Christmas.
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A petition was submitted Monday to the Michigan Bureau of Elections that would initiate legislation to ban the second-trimester abortion procedure of “dilation and evacuation” in the state.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill package into law Friday, legalizing online gambling and sports betting in casinos.
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Dozens of mayors from across the country recently issued a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to ask for continued refugee resettlement in their respective cities and townships.
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Michigan became the first state in the nation to sue major opioid distributors as drug dealers because they “knowingly participated in the illegal distribution of the prescription opioids purchased by Michigan residents.”
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Sports, online and others forms of gambling are Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s signature away from being legal in Michigan.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter Friday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo consenting to Michigan’s continued involvement in the Refugee Resettlement Program.
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Lawmakers in the House and Senate are drafting a supplemental bill to restore charter school programs vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. One of those programs would return $35 million previously denied charter schools.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said it’s “constitutionally prohibited” for the state to provide financial assistance to nonpublic schools in a recent legal brief.
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