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Unlock Michigan Petitions Certified Following Supreme Court Order

Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty

LANSING, July 14, 2021 ~ Tuesday, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers unanimously certified the Unlock Michigan petition to repeal the law that allowed Governor Gretchen Whitmer to independently issue emergency orders during the pandemic.

\”Over a half million Michigan voters demanded the repeal of the Emergency Powers Act abused by Governor Whitmer for so long, and now their demand will be satisfied,” said Unlock Michigan Spokesman Fred Wszolek.

The vote came after the Michigan Supreme Court ordered the board to certify the petition, which had 538,345 submitted signatures: well over the 340,047 needed for certification.

\”The Emergency Powers Act was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court — we\’ll repeal it with this petition — but then she used the public health code to basically do the same thing,\” Wszolek said to 760 WJR\’s Kevin Dietz. \”We close one door, she climbs out the window, and now we need to go nail that window shut.\”

Wszolek said a new petition drive will be started to address other problems exposed by the Governor.


July 14, 2021 ~ Unlock Michigan Spokesman Fred Wszolek talks with Kevin Dietz about how the Unlock Michigan petition is being sent to the legislature.


July 14, 2021 ~ Michigan GOP State Committee Member Tony Daunt talks with Kevin Dietz about the Board of Canvassers meeting on Tuesday.

However, many see Unlock Michigan as a Republican power grab.

Keep Michigan Safe, a “coalition formed to protect the executive powers of Michigan’s governor,” according to their webpage, sees Unlock Michigan as a “dangerous Republican ballot initiative,” made to, “undermine [Whitmer’s] ability to keep Michiganders safe.”

The Keep Michigan Safe webpage even has a form to fill out to report dated locations of Unlock Michigan circulators, saying, “The paid Republican operatives out on the streets gathering signatures will lie, cheat, and literally say anything to get you to sign.”

Following an investigation, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson deemed the signatures valid, and Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office found the campaign “sleazy” but legal.

Wzsolek said he anticipates the petition to move quickly through the Republican-led Legislature.

\”We’re looking forward to the next and final step on this long road: passage by the Michigan House and Senate of our initiative to repeal this law so abused by Governor Whitmer,\” said Wszolek.

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