Governor Gretchen Whitmer is expected to sign a series of bills adopted by the Legislature as part of a deal on the state’s response to COVID-19. It includes extending unemployment benefits for people who lost their jobs during the health crisis.
Job loss benefits would be extended for as long as 26 weeks for people who lost employment for reasons related to the COVID-19 crisis. That would match an executive order from Whitmer that was struck down by the state Supreme Court because she acted without legislative approval.
The deal-making with the Legislature was accelerated by that decision. Although many of her mask and distance mandates were re-issued by the state Department of Health and Human Services as public health orders.
The bills sent to Whitmer would also mandate new COVID-19 safety measures at nursing homes, and add legal protections for health care workers.