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539K signatures submitted to repeal Whitmer emergency powers

Governor Gretchen Whitmer portrait
Michigan.gov

A Michigan group has submitted 539,000 signatures to repeal a law that has given Gov. Gretchen Whitmer broad emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic. Unlock Michigan is demanding that the veto-proof initiative be put before the Republican-led Legislature before year's end. It needs roughly 340,000 valid voter signatures for the bill to qualify and has a 200,000 cushion. State Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, is investigating whether the ballot drive used illegal tactics. The Democratic governor has opposed the initiative, saying a 1945 law allowing her to unilaterally extend a state of emergency has helped her save lives.