Detroit Free Press LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday she hopes for some relaxing of the state's "stay home" order on May 1, when it is set to expire.At a Friday afternoon news conference, Whitmer said the state's economy will reopen in phases, with low-risk sectors returning to work first. Some of the easing of restrictions could also happen on a regional basis, "depending on what the data tells us," she said.In assessing whether a sector is low-risk, factors that will be examined include whether workers interact with the public, whether they work indoors or outdoors, whether they...…Detroit Free Press LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday she hopes for some relaxing of the state's "stay home" order on May 1, when it is set to expire.At a Friday afternoon news conference, Whitmer said the state's economy will reopen in phases, with low-risk sectors returning to work first. Some of the easing of restrictions could also happen on a regional basis, "depending on what the data tells us," she said.In assessing whether a sector is low-risk, factors that will be examined include whether workers interact with the public, whether they work indoors or outdoors, whether they...WW…

Detroit Free Press Michiganders took full advantage of new voting laws this year, registering to vote in droves in the days before Tuesday’s presidential primary and flooding clerks' offices with absentee ballots.At the end of the day Monday, nearly 1 million people — 993,814 to be exact — had asked for absentee ballots now that anyone can choose that option to vote. That represents a 97% increase over 2016 and is approaching absentee ballot totals in the general election of 2016 when far more people turn out to vote.Of that total, 804,216 people had returned their ballots, a 60%...…Detroit Free Press Michiganders took full advantage of new voting laws this year, registering to vote in droves in the days before Tuesday’s presidential primary and flooding clerks' offices with absentee ballots.At the end of the day Monday, nearly 1 million people — 993,814 to be exact — had asked for absentee ballots now that anyone can choose that option to vote. That represents a 97% increase over 2016 and is approaching absentee ballot totals in the general election of 2016 when far more people turn out to vote.Of that total, 804,216 people had returned their ballots, a 60%...WW…

Detroit Free Press The Senate Republican caucus has presented Gov. Gretchen Whitmer with a five-phase plan to jumpstart Michigan’s economy."The Senate Republican caucus believes it is our responsibility to propose a framework for Michiganders to live life in the presence of COVID-19, safely,” said Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake. “Michigan remains an outlier amongst states with strict stay-at-home orders.”The first phase of the plan calls for businesses that can maintain social distancing and provide personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves for its...…Detroit Free Press The Senate Republican caucus has presented Gov. Gretchen Whitmer with a five-phase plan to jumpstart Michigan’s economy."The Senate Republican caucus believes it is our responsibility to propose a framework for Michiganders to live life in the presence of COVID-19, safely,” said Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake. “Michigan remains an outlier amongst states with strict stay-at-home orders.”The first phase of the plan calls for businesses that can maintain social distancing and provide personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves for its...WW…

Get the newsShare This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutA Senate task force looking at ways to reopen Michigan's economy thinks some people could return to the work before stay home order expiresA link has been sent to your friend's email address.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. CLOSE'Operation Gridlock' aims to jam the roads around the Michigan Capitol in Lansing to object to restrictions in the stay-home order.Instead of looking at individual industries that can safely begin operating again, a state Senate task force studying ways to...…Get the newsShare This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutA Senate task force looking at ways to reopen Michigan's economy thinks some people could return to the work before stay home order expiresA link has been sent to your friend's email address.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. CLOSE'Operation Gridlock' aims to jam the roads around the Michigan Capitol in Lansing to object to restrictions in the stay-home order.Instead of looking at individual industries that can safely begin operating again, a state Senate task force studying ways to...WW…

Detroit Free Press A day after thousands of people converged on the Capitol to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest stay-at-home order, Republicans in the Legislature followed suit, introducing bills that would strip powers away from the governor.The bills come at a time when Whitmer has tightened stay-at-home restrictions, which have shuttered businesses and are keeping people in their homes as a way to try and stop the spread of coronavirus.The bills introduced in both the House and Senate would repeal the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act, which gives wide power to the...…Detroit Free Press A day after thousands of people converged on the Capitol to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest stay-at-home order, Republicans in the Legislature followed suit, introducing bills that would strip powers away from the governor.The bills come at a time when Whitmer has tightened stay-at-home restrictions, which have shuttered businesses and are keeping people in their homes as a way to try and stop the spread of coronavirus.The bills introduced in both the House and Senate would repeal the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act, which gives wide power to the...WW…

Detroit Free Press In the midst of the continuing spread of the coronavirus in Michigan, the Michigan Legislature has scheduled a special session for Friday to create an oversight committee to examine how Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has responded to the crisis as well as consider bills that would strip the governor of some of her powers.The extraordinary move, at a time when Whitmer is looking to extend her stay-at-home order past its May 1 expiration and encouraging all Michiganders to confine themselves to their homes as a way to stop the spread of the coronavirus, is a sign of an escalating...…Detroit Free Press In the midst of the continuing spread of the coronavirus in Michigan, the Michigan Legislature has scheduled a special session for Friday to create an oversight committee to examine how Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has responded to the crisis as well as consider bills that would strip the governor of some of her powers.The extraordinary move, at a time when Whitmer is looking to extend her stay-at-home order past its May 1 expiration and encouraging all Michiganders to confine themselves to their homes as a way to stop the spread of the coronavirus, is a sign of an escalating...WW…