The Republican-led state House Oversight Committee held a hearing Wednesday on bills that would rein in emergency powers of the governor and state departments.
The bills are largely a response to COVID-19 emergency orders issued by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state Department of Health and Human Services. But the requirement to get legislative approval after 28 days would also apply to other situations, such as environmental or public safety disasters.
Republican Representative Steve Johnson is the Oversight chair. He says that would force the governor to work with the Legislature.
“The governor can’t just keep renewing it, but that’s allowed when you give just this power away without any sort of timeline, no constraints.”
Johnson says he plans to send the bills to the House floor next week.