Governor Gretchen Whitmer

The University of Michigan’s governing board on Friday censured a Republican regent who called the state’s female Democratic leaders “witches” whom the GOP would prepare for a “burning at the stake” in the 2022 election.

Ron Weiser, who chairs the state Republican Party, said he took “full responsibility” for his comments to activists but said he would not quit despite the board’s call for his resignation.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked the White House on Tuesday if it would consider sending additional COVID-19 vaccines to states, including Michigan, that face surging coronavirus cases.

Whitmer later announced that the state’s direct allotment of doses — which is separate from vaccines going to pharmacies from the federal government — will total about 620,000 next week, a record. That is 12%, or roughly 66,000, more than this week and includes a substantial boost in the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Michigan Republican Chairman Ron Weiser has apologized for comments calling the three highest-ranking elected female leaders in the state “witches” who should be “ready for the burning at the stake.”

The comments Weiser made during an event Thursday in Oakland County about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson came in addition to others raising the idea of “assassination” in reference to U.S. Reps. Fred Upton and Peter Meijer, two Republicans who voted in favor of impeaching former President Donald Trump.

The leader of Michigan’s Republican Party referred to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and two other top Democratic elected woman as “witches” that the GOP wants to “soften up” for a “burning at the stake” in the 2022 election.

He also joked about assassination when he was asked how to remove two GOP congressmen, Reps. Fred Upton and Peter Meijer, who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.

Ron Weiser’s statements Thursday during a local Republican meeting, which are on video, were first reported by The Detroit News on Friday.

Michigan on Friday eased outdoor stadium capacity restrictions before baseball’s opening day but ordered weekly rapid testing of teen athletes amid a climbing coronavirus case rate that ranks fourth nationally over the past week.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, for now, she does not plan to tighten COVID-19 restrictions her administration had gradually loosened in recent months — noting ongoing vaccinations while also citing concerns about virus variants that more easily spread.

Allegations that New York intentionally manipulated data regarding COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes has led Republicans to demand an investigation in Michigan, where Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — early in the pandemic — told such facilities to admit or readmit COVID-affected residents under certain conditions.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday set policies regarding severance agreements with departing state employees, letting such deals continue despite criticism of payouts to some top administration officials that included confidentiality clauses.

The executive directive specifies that Michigan’s executive branch cannot agree to deny the existence of a deal or withhold its details. The measure also allows payments for something other than services rendered if the worker waives potential legal action, and the state determines it will mitigate financial risk and protect taxpayer money.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration released a plan Friday to make sure Michigan will have enough propane if a controversial pipeline is shut down.

The strategy addresses a frequent objection to the Democratic governor’s demand that Enbridge Inc. decommission its Line 5, a leading carrier of natural gas liquids that are refined into propane to heat many Michigan homes.

Michigan announced Friday that all residents age 16 and up will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5, nearly a month before the May 1 date pledged by President Joe Biden.

People age 16 to 49 with certain medical conditions or disabilities will qualify starting March 22, when 50- to 64-year-olds can begin getting shots under a previous announcement. Two days later, March 24, a federally selected regional mass vaccination site will open at Detroit’s Ford Field to administer an additional 6,000 doses a day for two months.

The prosecutor for Michigan’s third-largest county said Thursday he will investigate nursing home-related coronavirus deaths, saying there are questions about whether the transfer of recovering patients into facilities led residents and staff to be infected.

A landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that won final congressional approval on Wednesday includes a provision meant to force states to allocate aid to schools quickly, following Michigan’s ongoing delay in disbursing emergency K-12 funding that was authorized in a previous round of coronavirus funding.

The Michigan House approved a bill Wednesday that would allow an estimated 200,000 one-time drunken drivers ask a judge to set aside their convictions.

The measure now heads to the Senate. In the previous legislative session the Senate passed the legislation 32-5 and the House 96-8, but Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer without comment let it die by not signing it, even after signing a slew of “ clean slate ” legislation to create simple avenues for expungement of other convictions.

Whitmer’s office has not commented on the latest effort.

The Michigan Legislature, where majority Republicans have blasted Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over severance payments to top officials, on Tuesday disclosed nearly $700,000 worth of separation agreements or legal settlements over the past decade.

The bulk of the payouts, $632,000, involved 30 separation deals in the Senate since 2010, including 20 in the past five years. Individual payments were not released. Three House agreements in 2018 and 2015, totaling nearly $60,000, settled legal disputes with terminated employees since 2013.