Thumb Reporter

Rep. Gary Howell (R-Deerfield Township) is happy that the Michigan Supreme Court struck down Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive orders regarding COVID-19.

"I am extremely pleased with the ruling," Howell said in an interview with the Thumb Reporter. "I think the Supreme Court has properly determined the constitutional balance that should exist between the governor and the Legislature."

Howell said, with this ruling, the governor would not be able to use the 1945 law to simply extend emergencies indefinitely. He said her executive orders covered an incredible variety of areas throughout the state without any legislative oversight.

Because his particular district is quite conservative, he can say very confidently from talking to his voters that they are also pleased with the ruling.

"There’s a general feeling here that the governor overstepped her bounds on a number of orders she issued," Howell told the Thumb Reporter.

Howell said going forward, he hoped Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature could work together.

"What I would like to see is cooperation between the governor and the Legislature," Howell said. "Politics right now, unfortunately, has become very poisonous at the national level and at the state level, and I think what the public really wants and needs are Republicans and Democrats to work together for the common good."

Howell said there were more than 200 executive orders that Whitmer had issued.

"The kind of thing that concerned me was that for a long time, she had the big corporate stores like Home Depot and Walmart open for business, and she had closed many of my local businesses here — the independent folks that are trying to make a living on their own," Howell told the Thumb Reporter. "So we had the ridiculous situation where you could go to Home Depot and buy items, but you couldn’t go to North Branch to local stores that were closed up by her orders. That kind of thing can't happen and hopefully won't ever happen again."

Howell said with the Supreme Court's decision, they could now strike a balance between public health and the economy.

The Michigan Supreme Court struck down Whitmer's orders Oct. 2, saying she violated her constitutional authority when she extended the orders without the Legislature's approval, the Detroit News reported.