House GOP plan threatens to withhold school funds -- unless Whitmer gives up pandemic power

[demmiblue]

Source: Detroit Free Press

Michigan House Republicans unveiled their own COVID-19 recovery plan on Wednesday, using the proposal to blast Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and threaten to withhold billions in federal funds unless the administration gives up pandemic powers.

Specifically, the House wants the governor and state health department to give up the authority to ban in-person school or sports in response to a health emergency, transferring that power to local health departments. Although Whitmer and the state health department issued orders through authority granted to the executive by previous legislatures, lawmakers continue to try and grab that power back from the governor's office.

“I have reviewed the governor’s budget request and it is off the mark by a wide margin,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, said in a news release.

“The governor’s plan is focused on corporate giveaways and growing government. Our plan will provide hope that people might still have a livelihood. Her plan has talking points about supporting summer school – our plan actually puts forth funding to help schools make it a reality."

Read more: https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/27/whitmer-school-funds-covid-michigan/4274515001/

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[CaptYossarian]

1. What's the penalty for "whitemail"?

[Bayard]

2. Screw that!

Can she issue executive orders?

[C_U_L8R]

3. The GOP is holding their own constituency hostage.

What a dumb move.

[louis-t]

4. Let them do it. Repugs will shoot themselves in the foot.

Let them go to their constituents and explain it. Lose/lose for repugs. Morons.

[Gregory Peccary]

7. They will just blame Whitmer by saying she refused to accept their proposal

Or they will come up with some other nonsense.

[louis-t]

10. They would still be holding the state hostage.

Very hard to explain that away.

[Gregory Peccary]

11. Their base doesn't seem to care

Nothing phases them

[Ford_Prefect]

5. Evidently state constitutional protections only apply to the GOP and their chosen dogma of the day.

Take them to court and kick their nasty little butts.

[onetexan]

6. +1 K&R

[Algernon Moncrieff]

8. Call.Their.Bluff

You want to really screw up the economy? Close the schools. Let everyone scramble to find child care.

Oh, and the governor should order the DNR to suspend issuing hunting and fishing licenses or do firearms background checks until the schools get funded.

[KPN]

9. Blackmail. Or at least it should be considered such in the legal realm really. It won't work

though ... for the same reason teacher strikes always work in teachers' favor. People want their kids in school.