Whitmer proposes $5.6B plan to combat, recover from virus

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing a $5.6 billion plan to combat and recover from the coronavirus pandemic, including the use of billions in federal relief and $575 million in surplus state funds. The request will go to Michigan's Republican-led Legislature on Wednesday, less than a month after Congress and President Trump enacted additional COVID-19 aid. A major facet of the Democratic governor's proposal would allocate $2 billion - $300 million of it state dollars - to help K-12 schools offer the option of in-person instruction by March 1 and to address pandemic-related learning loss.