Whitmer: 'No plans to do any broad mandates' around vaccines, masks in schools

[MichMan]

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is not considering a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for state workers now that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration granted the first full authorization Monday of a coronavirus vaccine.

"There are no plans to do any broad mandates," she said Monday, referring to her decision not mandate vaccines or require masks at Michigan schools.

"Those who were uneasy because of the early use authorization status of the vaccine maybe now will have a greater confidence in the fact that these vaccines are safe and they work."

t's the latest in a series of statements Whitmer or members of her administration have made to rebuff the idea of new pandemic regulations in Michigan. While the governor and state health department leaders have argued mask mandates and capacity restrictions saved lives in the first months of the pandemic, since January the Whitmer administration has promoted a message that revolves around personal responsibility.

Whitmer's goal was to get at least one dose of coronavirus shots into the arms of 70% of the state's 16 and older population, but the state has yet to reach that benchmark despite incentives that included a statewide lottery-style raffle in July.

As of Monday, the state's vaccination rate stood at 65.2% — below the national rate of vaccine uptake, which is 73%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



https://www.freep.com/story/news/2021/08/23/whitmer-wont-require-covid-vaccines-masks-michigan-state-workers/8238325002/

[Srkdqltr]

1. I don't blame her. They didn't listen the first go round and they won't now.

She got a lot of very nasty pushback. I bet she has had enough of folks and figures let them figure it out if they are so smart.
It's a shame really.

[MichMan]

2. Why not mandate it for state employees ?

If they don't like it they can work somewhere else

[Srkdqltr]

3. Does she still have the power to do that?

I thought the legislature took that away from her?

[MichMan]

4. She could if she wanted to

The legislature doesn't determine what state employees do other than their own staffs

The governor still has powers under a 1976 law to call an emergency for 28 days after which time the legislature must agree to continue it. The Dept of Health is also empowered to issue directives.

The only thing that the legislature was able to do was repeal a 1945 law that gave the governor power to declare an emergency for an indefinite amount of time. The repeal was somewhat symbolic because the Michigan SC had already ruled the 1945 law unconstitutional.