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| © Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal Protesters outside the House chambers at the Michigan Capitol on Thursday, April 30. |
By Kara Berg, Rachel Greco and Paul Egan, Lansing State Journal
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Michigan State Capitol Thursday morning, many displaying signs advocating for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lift stay-at-home orders that have been in place for more than a month.
More than half of those in attendance weren't wearing face masks. Few practiced social distancing.
Protesters displayed a large sign that read "Freedom" at the top of the Capitol steps.
Several hours into the protest, as it began to rain harder, protesters went inside the Capitol. They gathered in the lobby outside the House chamber and chanted: "Let us in." The public isn't allowed on the chamber floor, but public galleries are accessible on the floor above.
Several protesters had rifles inside the Capitol.
"Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us," Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, posted on Twitter. "Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today."
A group of protesters remained on the grounds. One was arrested for assaulting another protester at about 12:45 p.m., Lt. Brian Oleksyk said. Neither had any injuries.
Whitmer's state of emergency order expires at the end of the day Thursday, and legislators must approve her request for an extension before then. The Republican-controlled Legislature is opposed to the request but hasn't ruled out a shorter extension. The House adjourned without voting on an extension.
But Whitmer maintains — and legal experts agree — that the state of emergency will remain in effect whether the Legislature votes to extend it or not. The Emergency Powers of Governor Act of 1945 allows the governor to declare a state of emergency, and unlike the Emergency Management Act of 1976, it contains no provision for legislative approval.
The state of emergency should not be confused with the stay-at-home order, which shut down businesses not deemed essential and requires people to stay home except for essential purposes. A state of emergency must exist for a stay-at-home order to be in force, but Whitmer has said she expects the state of emergency to continue after the stay-at-home order expires.
Ryan Kelley, a protest organizer, asked people to raise their hands if they’d been economically impacted by the stay-home order. Nearly everyone did.
Whitmer's legacy will be the unemployment, hungry families and economic despair caused by her actions during the pandemic, Kelley said.
“The solution is worse than the problem,” Kelley said. "We've elected a governor who has put us into an economic downward spiral."
Two dozen cars with signs circled downtown, and the Trump Unity Bridge was on display during the protest.
Beth Steenwyk, of Hudsonville, said Whitmer was right to shut the state down at first, when no one knew much about COVID-19.
What doesn't make sense, she said, is now that officials are more knowledgeable about the virus, Whitmer is cracking down harder.
She and her husband have several small businesses, including a storage company and a company that creates websites and handles social media. They are able to keep going during the shut down, even though business has slowed. But many others she knows can't work at all while the state is shut down, Steenwyk said.
The protest comes just two weeks after thousands of people participated in a protest of Whitmer's orders at the Capitol organized by The Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund, and another held last week outside Whitmer's residence.
See more at Lansing State Journal
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Michigan State Capitol Thursday morning, many displaying signs advocating for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lift stay-at-home orders that have been in place for more than a month.
More than half of those in attendance weren't wearing face masks. Few practiced social distancing.
Protesters displayed a large sign that read "Freedom" at the top of the Capitol steps.
Several hours into the protest, as it began to rain harder, protesters went inside the Capitol. They gathered in the lobby outside the House chamber and chanted: "Let us in." The public isn't allowed on the chamber floor, but public galleries are accessible on the floor above.
Several protesters had rifles inside the Capitol.
"Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us," Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, posted on Twitter. "Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today."
Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today. #mileg pic.twitter.com/voOZpPYWOs— Senator Dayna Polehanki (@SenPolehanki) April 30, 2020
A group of protesters remained on the grounds. One was arrested for assaulting another protester at about 12:45 p.m., Lt. Brian Oleksyk said. Neither had any injuries.
Whitmer's state of emergency order expires at the end of the day Thursday, and legislators must approve her request for an extension before then. The Republican-controlled Legislature is opposed to the request but hasn't ruled out a shorter extension. The House adjourned without voting on an extension.
But Whitmer maintains — and legal experts agree — that the state of emergency will remain in effect whether the Legislature votes to extend it or not. The Emergency Powers of Governor Act of 1945 allows the governor to declare a state of emergency, and unlike the Emergency Management Act of 1976, it contains no provision for legislative approval.
The state of emergency should not be confused with the stay-at-home order, which shut down businesses not deemed essential and requires people to stay home except for essential purposes. A state of emergency must exist for a stay-at-home order to be in force, but Whitmer has said she expects the state of emergency to continue after the stay-at-home order expires.
Ryan Kelley, a protest organizer, asked people to raise their hands if they’d been economically impacted by the stay-home order. Nearly everyone did.
Whitmer's legacy will be the unemployment, hungry families and economic despair caused by her actions during the pandemic, Kelley said.
“The solution is worse than the problem,” Kelley said. "We've elected a governor who has put us into an economic downward spiral."
Two dozen cars with signs circled downtown, and the Trump Unity Bridge was on display during the protest.
Beth Steenwyk, of Hudsonville, said Whitmer was right to shut the state down at first, when no one knew much about COVID-19.
What doesn't make sense, she said, is now that officials are more knowledgeable about the virus, Whitmer is cracking down harder.
She and her husband have several small businesses, including a storage company and a company that creates websites and handles social media. They are able to keep going during the shut down, even though business has slowed. But many others she knows can't work at all while the state is shut down, Steenwyk said.
The protest comes just two weeks after thousands of people participated in a protest of Whitmer's orders at the Capitol organized by The Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund, and another held last week outside Whitmer's residence.
See more at Lansing State Journal
