Looks like Michiganders continue to lead the way when it comes to facing down politicians who imagine themselves above the Constitution. We see a lot of decisions that have nothing to do with protecting people from the virus. How is it in Michigan you can buy a bottle of booze (which depresses the immune system) but you can’t buy a can of paint? We will follow reasonable guidance but we will not accept idiotic power grabs that have nothing to do with the issue at hand.

Via Washington Examiner.

A group of sheriffs announced they will not enforce some of Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders on the same day thousands rallied against state-mandated shelter-in-place orders outside the state Capitol in Lansing.

Sheriffs Mike Borkovich, Ted Schendel, Ken Falk, and Kim Cole of Michigan’s 101st District released a press statement Wednesday afternoon detailing what they said was their decision to place their oath to the Constitution above Whitmer’s wishes.

“We write today to inform the public for our respective counties of our opposition to some of Governor Whitmer’s executive orders. While we understand her desire to protect the public, we question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority,” read the letter signed by each sheriff.

Hundreds of thousands signed petitions and joined online groups to voice their frustration with Whitmer’s orders and to organize protests. Whitmer enacted the stay-at-home policy on March 22 and has been met with criticism from small-business owners and the unemployed.

“People are basically being told what they can and can’t buy at stores,” said Matt Seely, a member of the Michigan Conservative Coalition who rallied outside the state Capitol. “Nothing makes sense. You can buy a bottle of liquor, but you can’t buy a gallon of paint.”

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  1. Pat_S says:

    Who can be in a canoe?

    When Gov. Whitmer issued the first state of emergency in mid-March she became a media darling for taking a swipe at Trump. She complained he hadn’t taken the lead. That first state of emergency expired on April 13. On April 9 she issued a new one. Perhaps she looked to Joseph Stalin for leadership on this one. I don’t know why the second round has to be degrees harsher than the first since we are presumably at the downslope now.

    It is peculiar that Michigan was hit so hard. The media wants us to think it is mostly about widespread poverty in Detroit. That may have an impact for that city however, nearby Oakland County is also a hot spot. It is one of the richest counties in the country.

    I live in Michigan and I believe the March 10th primary is a significant factor for the state being hit so hard by the virus. Bernie Sanders upset Hilary Clinton here in 2016. It was a critical win for Trump in the general election. In the days immediately before the March 10 primary Biden and Sanders held rallies in Detroit of 2,000 to 6,000 people. On March 8th, 10,000 people attended a Sanders rally at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Within a matter of days the school cancelled in-person classes and the students scattered. I don’t know for a fact, but there probably were gatherings of at-home fundraisers among the wealthy in Oakland County.

    On the day of the Michigan election, both candidates announced they would stop holding in-person rallies. Biden and Sanders didn’t do anything wrong. That’s not my point. It was unlucky timing for Michigan. We know the media has an aversion to attach anything negative to Democrats. So if you read a rare reference to the possibility the election was a factor in Michigan’s woes, there is at most a shrug.

    Now we have draconian rules imposed. Just visualize bureaucrats sitting down conjuring up these rules. You can’t hire someone to cut your grass. In the same big box store where on one shelf sits a gallon of ice cream and on another a gallon of paint, you can only buy the ice cream. You can buy a lottery ticket, but not a packet of vegetable seeds. They even got around to rules about who can be in a canoe. You can share a canoe ride, but only with a member of your household. Yeah, you and Big Brother.


    EO 2020-42: Does boating constitute “outdoor activity” under the new executive order?

    Physical outdoor activity like kayaking, canoeing, and sailing is permitted under the order, but using a motorboat, a jet ski, or other similar watercraft is not. Any outdoor activity permitted under the order, including boating, must be done in a manner consistent with social distancing, and individuals should use only their own equipment to prevent the transmission of the virus through the touching of shared surfaces. Additionally, in accordance with section 2 of the order, persons not part of a single household may not boat together.

  2. Alain41 says:

    Contributing to Governor’s refusal to consider the Constitution is Congress’ refusal to consider the Constitution. Congressional Republicans, at least, should sometimes say, This Bill is not constitutional. But they don’t, except for the kook, Justin Amash, which is taken as additional reason to not consider as Amash just says trash and doesn’t do real analysis.
    Too many politicians have bought into, Pass it and unless Judiciary rules unconstitutional, it’s good.

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