Government

Guns not banned at Michigan Capitol unless lawmakers act

Guns cannot be banned from Michigan’s Capitol unless legislators change state law, an official who helps oversee the building said Wednesday, less than a week after some protesters armed with rifles shouted at lawmakers inside the Senate chamber. John Truscott, vice chairman of the Michigan State Capitol Commission, said he received “early indications” from the panel’s lawyer that “we do …

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State: Docs have discretion; order eases burden on morgues

Michigan hospitals and physicians have “broad discretion” to decide whether to continue delaying procedures during the pandemic, the state said in new guidance issued in the face of pressure to let providers do more as the curve of coronavirus cases flattens. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive and chief deputy health director, announced the memo Monday, a day after sending …

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Whitmer: Stay-home order still in place; some return to work

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday that Michigan’s stay-at-home order remains in effect through May 15 despite Republicans’ refusal to extend her underlying coronavirus emergency declaration, as she amended it to allow construction, real estate and more outdoor work to resume in person next week. The Democratic governor, who may be sued by the GOP-led Legislature, addressed reporters the same day …

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GOP lawmakers reject Michigan’s virus order; Whitmer unfazed

The Republican-led Michigan Legislature refused Thursday to extend the state’s coronavirus emergency declaration and voted to authorize a lawsuit challenging Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s authority and actions to combat the pandemic. The governor, unfazed, responded with orders stating under one law that an emergency still exists, while under another law declaring new 28-day states of emergency and disaster. The latter …

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Senate wants elective medical procedures; greenhouses reopen

Republicans who control the Michigan Senate urged Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday to lift her five-week-old ban on nonessential medical and dental procedures, saying the decision to resume should be left to hospitals and health providers. The resolution, while symbolic, is the latest move by GOP lawmakers who are pushing the Democratic governor to ease restrictions she adopted to curb the …

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Bear killed by truck near Grand Rapids

A black bear nicknamed Yogi was struck and killed Tuesday on a highway ramp in the Grand Rapids area, police said. The bear, an adult male weighing roughly 250 pounds, had been spotted for a few years in Walker. He was hit by a large truck on a ramp leading to westbound Interstate 96. “There were no injuries to the …

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Whitmer: Construction to resume next; eyes longer emergency

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday she will allow commercial and residential construction to restart in Michigan within a week or two and is taking a “hard look” at whether to let industrial sectors like manufacturing reopen in the next phase of loosening her stay-at-home restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. The Democratic governor also said she will ask the Republican-led Legislature …

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Gov defends stay-at-home extension as 41 new deaths reported

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defended the extension of Michigan’s stay-at-home order as the “best weapon to defeat” the coronavirus in a newspaper opinion piece Sunday and signed two more executive orders related to the pandemic. Her comments came as the state reported 41 new deaths for a total of 3,315 statewide. Michigan has had 37,778 COVID-19 cases, including 575 reported Sunday, …

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11 deaths, high rate of infection at one Michigan prison

More than 50% of inmates tested at a Michigan prison have been infected with the highly contagious coronavirus and at least 11 have died, officials reported. Lakeland prison in Branch County in southern Michigan continues to be a hot spot. It has a large share of the system’s older prisoners. The Corrections Department said 1,411 prisoners had been tested at …

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Whitmer extends stay-home order through May 15, eases rules

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday lengthened her stay-at-home order through May 15, while lifting restrictions so some businesses can reopen and the public can participate in outdoor activities like golf and motorized boating during the coronavirus pandemic. The measure immediately replaces one that was scheduled to expire next week. Michigan has nearly 3,000 deaths related to COVID-19, behind only New York and New Jersey …

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