By Jessica Mathews/News@whmi.com


As anticipated, legislation sponsored by a local lawmaker that would limit emergency orders issued by the state Department of Health and Human Services has been vetoed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Republican State Senator Lana Theis of Brighton Township sponsored SB 1253. It would have amended the Public Health Code to create a 28-day limit on emergency orders issued to control an epidemic - unless a request from the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services to extend the order was approved by resolution of both houses of the Legislature.

Theis earlier said her bill will ensure the people have a say in the matter, stating “Unelected and unaccountable DHHS bureaucrats should not be able to issue freedom-restricting emergency orders that disrupt lives and threaten livelihoods in perpetuity.”

In her veto letter, the Governor wrote that unfortunately, epidemics are not limited to 28 days so they should not so limit their ability to respond to them. Whitmer said over the past nine months, the Department has served a crucial role in limiting the spread of the deadly coronavirus – noting the bill would unreasonably place an unscientific and arbitrary time limit on their ability to respond not only to this pandemic but to future health emergencies.

The Governor said her number one priority has always been the safety and wellbeing of the people of Michigan and for the time being, people must continue to take precautions to stay safe. Whitmer wrote that the “bill would recklessly undermine the ability of the Department of Health and Human Services to stop the spread of this pandemic, putting the lives of countless Michiganders at risk. Therefore, I am vetoing it”.

Theis issued the following statement regarding the veto:

“Today, Gov. Whitmer vetoed an opportunity for Michiganders to have a say when unelected bureaucrats restrict their freedoms and close their businesses. While I had hoped for better, in the end, she did what we all knew she would do and again showed that her unilateral power is more important to her than her residents and their businesses. It comes as no surprise that the government would reject any attempt to limit its power or restore power to the people. The state Supreme Court made it clear that even after declaring an emergency, Gov. Whitmer does not have the right to extend her orders without the Legislature’s approval. If the governor can’t, it makes no sense that and her employee, an unelected bureaucrat can. My bill would have corrected this horrible oversight. We all face these challenges together, and we should join to overcome them — and my bill would have ensured the voices of the people could again be heard when making these decisions in Lansing. While the governor may have ended things with her veto today, I can assure you that we will not give up. Our citizens deserve to be heard.”

The veto letter is attached.