Gov. Gretchen Whitmer | Facebook
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer | Facebook
Rep. Eric Leutheuser (R-Hillsdale) and the Michigan House quickly moved to address COVID-19 after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s months-long unilateral rule through executive order was unconstitutional, according to Michigan House Republicans.
“As we move forward after the court ruling, I am hopeful the governor will embrace a more bipartisan and cooperative approach,” said Leutheuser, according to Michigan House Republicans. “It’s the only way to give people a voice in decision-making, keep them safe and reopen our economy.”
Senate Bill 886 will protect Unemployment Insurance Agency benefits put in place in response to the pandemic and will ensure that claims continue uninterrupted for the maximum number of weeks allowed by the federal government. The bill will also cover workers who voluntarily left the workforce to self-isolate or quarantine, or left to care for family members diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as people who can’t safely work because they are immunocompromised. Employers will also be safeguarded from unemployment benefit charges if their employees were laid off because of COVID-19-related reasons.
Rep. Eric Leutheuser
| Michigan House Republicans
Other measures are allowing retirees to return to work to assist the UIA in responding to an overwhelming backlog of unemployment claims, and prompting the agency to reopen its regional offices.
“The state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency has failed thousands of Michiganders who have struggled to file claims and get them fulfilled so they can feed their families and survive the economic devastation of COVID-19 shutdowns,” Leutheuser told Michigan House Republicans. “The measures we are putting in place today will help improve this system and the families who depend on it.”
Senate Bill 1108 will enable local governments, school boards and other public bodies to continue to meet remotely using electronic means, if necessary, to safely conduct business and meet with the public.
The House also approved measures extending the validity of vehicle registrations, driver’s licenses and state identification cards that expired after March 2020, and waiving late fees associated with renewing expired documents.
Leutheuser said that these are temporary measures intended to protect communities and keep the various systems running smoothly.
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