AFP-MI Urges Board of State Canvassers to Certify Unlock Michigan Petition

Apr 23, 2021 by AFP

Supports Efforts to Remove Unconstitutional Law From Books

LANSING, Mich. — Americans for Prosperity-Michigan (AFP-MI) today urged the Board of State Canvassers to certify the Unlock Michigan petition after it deadlocked in a 2-2 vote. The petition would repeal the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act.

AFP-MI State director Annie Patnaude issued the following statement:

“Last summer, in the face of unchecked executive power, the people of Michigan collected hundreds of thousands of signatures to repeal a law that does not live up to our principle of checks and balances on power. It is high time we repealed that law to help encourage policymakers from the executive and legislative branches to work together as co-equals, especially when it comes to important issues such as COVID-19 response.

“In an unprecedented move, the Secretary of State already held this initiated petition up for months. Now that a clear opinion to certify has been offered from the Secretary of State, we urge the Board of State Canvassers to put politics aside and fulfill their responsibility to the citizens who want this unconstitutional law repealed. It is one step toward preventing executive overreach and ensuring that the legislature has a coequal role in governing, especially when it comes to important issues like COVID-19.”

Background:

In October 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court issued a ruling that the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act was unconstitutional and that Governor Gretchen Whitmer had overstepped her bounds by issuing COVID-19 orders under the law without legislative approval.

Unlock Michigan, a petition initiative working to officially remove the law from the books, officially reached the number of signatures necessary for the Bureau of Elections to recommend certification. If the Board of State Canvassers approves the petition, it will go to the Legislature for approval, bypassing a potential governor-veto.