SE Grand Rapids News

According to an opinion piece by Rep. Julie Calley (R-Portland) published by The Detroit News in September, the Legislature of Michigan needs to work towards more transparent COVID-19 plans.

Calley says that for the last six months, she has heard from numerous Michigan residents concerned about the effects COVID-19 has had on employment, education and health care. Since the state’s response to the pandemic affects everyone, it’s important that the Legislature hears the voice of the people and makes fact-based decisions transparently and guided by data.

According to Calley, instead of transparency, the state has fallen under the unilateral authority of a single person: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

"For months, the state of Michigan has been under repeated declarations of emergency, granting elongated and singular authority to one person," Calley wrote. "Regardless of how effective the governor’s executive orders turn out to be, her inconsistencies and ambiguities have undoubtedly made dealing with COVID-19 harder than necessary for Michigan families."

Calley says that, along with protecting public health, providing transparency and accountability for the benefit of all is also important and can be accomplished if the legislative and executive branches work together.

"Increased transparency would benefit everyone," Calley wrote in her op-ed. "People deserve to know what data is being used to keep businesses closed after more than six months."

Calley said that COVID-19 is not going away, but we cannot live under a state of emergency indefinitely. She called on the two branches of government to work together to develop a COVID-19 plan transparently for the benefit of all Michigan's residents.

"The executive branch and the Legislature must work collaboratively to develop a smarter plan of action for dealing with COVID-19," Calley wrote. "We must also improve transparency and continue to arm Michigan residents with updated information that they can use to protect themselves."

Since the publication of Calley's op-ed, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled against Whitmer's continuing state of emergency and many of her executive orders that were made during that time.