(WWJ) A state lawmaker who vocally opposed wearing masks and tried to prevent any action to force Michiganders to wear them announced that he has contracted COVID 19.
In a message on his Facebook page, Beau Lafave from the Upper Peninsula says he's been self-quarantining at his house.
He said he has been working with administrators at the state Capitol -- where he attended a vote last week -- to let everyone who he was in contact with know about the situation. Lafave, a Republican who lives in Iron Mountain, says he was following protocols of social distancing, frequent hand washing and sanitizing and wearing a mask.
The lawmaker says he's planning to stay home through at least the middle of next week.
Notable, LaFave voted this summer to send a bill for the coronavirus toll on America to China.
His measure would require the state to send "an itemized statement of the damages, costs, expenses and other losses."
LaFave dubbed the proposal the "Coronavirus Responsibility Reimbursement Act." Nine other House members signed on as co-sponsors, including two Democrats: Reps. Brian Elder of Bay City and Ronnie Peterson of Ypsilanti.
"The reason the virus got to our shores in the first place is not a partisan issue," LaFave said. "We all know it's because of China."
The bill hasn't made it out of committee.
LaFave also tried to prevent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from mandating masks in her executive orders, saying it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“People who have disabilities do not need a constant and unnecessary reminder that they’re different," he wrote in a proposal this summer. "Sadly, that’s exactly the type of scenario this executive order mandates. It disproportionally hurts people with disabilities by forcing them to jump through government-created hoops every time they step foot in public.
“Masks are a really good idea and I encourage their use, but Gov. Whitmer is wrong to issue an unlawful and contradictory executive order that forces businesses and their employees to choose between a hefty fine for violating the ADA or risk losing their business license.
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