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Detroit Regional Chamber > What Happened in Lansing Tuesday? The Chamber Breaks it Down

What Happened in Lansing Tuesday? The Chamber Breaks it Down

April 7, 2020
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Legislature’s Vote Today: Making Sense of It All (Tuesday, April 7)

Today’s legislative session in Lansing may have been a political enthusiast’s dream, but it sure can be confusing. So, what does it all mean?

While there were differing legal opinions, the Governor’s COVID-19 Emergency Declaration was set to expire and needed legislative approval to remain in place.

So today, the Legislature approved a joint resolution allowing the declaration to continue for up to an additional 23 days as the governor sees fit. Although, this does not grant the full 70 days the governor requested.

With today’s action, the Emergency Declaration may stay in place until April 30, at which time the Legislature could again extend it.

Emergency Declaration vs. “Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives” Executive Order

The big question for many employers is: What does this mean for the governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order?

Let’s rewind briefly.

The Emergency Declaration gave the governor the power to close the schools, limit hospital visits, and other social distancing measures to protect public health.

With the Emergency Declaration in place, the governor eventually then issued the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order following the declaration.

That came with its own unique expiration date of Monday, April 13th.

Confused? So were we.

Those two actions by the governor technically had different expiration dates.

The Emergency Declaration was set to expire today, Tuesday, April 7. The “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order: Monday, April 13.

With today’s action, the Emergency Declaration stays in effect until April 30.

That does not mean the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order remains in effect until April 30, but that is a strong possibility.

We expect the governor to make an announcement this week in regard to the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order. That will provide a clearer indication of when social distancing measures may or may not be relaxed.

Stay tuned for updates.