(WWJ) -- There appears to be an agreement between Michigan House and Senate Republican leaders and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on changes to the governor’s emergency powers.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Speaker of the House Jason Wentworth says he, Whitmer and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey have agreed to work on a plan to create a permanent role for the legislature in all future state pandemic emergency orders.
The agreement also calls for withdrawing the permanent MIOSHA work rules the governor has proposed in addition to setting a specific date to repeal COVID-19 pandemic orders, which Whitmer announced earlier Thursday.
In exchange, House and Senate Republicans “agreed to make a show of good faith on one of the governor’s priorities” -- working together on state budget talks. The state legislature is yet to allocate millions more dollars in federal funding it has received to help with pandemic recovery efforts.
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Wentworth says Republicans “have been pushing for changes to the state’s management of the pandemic for the last 14 months.”
“These three changes are major priorities for House Republicans, because those are three major priorities for the people we represent,” Wentworth said in a statement. “We listened to the people and fought every day for their ability to go to work, send their kids to school and live there lives.”
Wentworth says Whitmer was “finally willing to work with us and make significant changes” Thursday.
“I’ve consistently said I believe the budget process is better with the governor involved, and the state’s pandemic management is better with the Legislature involved,” Wentworth said. “The critical issues facing our state are simply too big and are hurting too many people for us to waste any more time. The people we represent are tired of disagreement and just want results. This agreement is a good first step in getting us to that point.”
The governor announced earlier in the day that the state will lift all outdoor capacity restrictions on June 1, paving the way for Michiganders to return to stadiums, concert venues and other outdoor gatherings this summer.
A month later on July 1, the state is set to lift all capacity and mask requirements at all indoor venues, unless unanticipated circumstances arise.