November 25, 2020

Majority Leader Mike Shirkey Speaker Lee Chatfield

16th District 107th District
P.O. Box 30036 P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909 Lansing, MI 48909
Minority Leader Jim Ananich Minority Leader Christine Greig
27th District 37th District
P.O. Box 30036 P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909 Lansing, MI 48909

Dear Mike, Jim, Lee and Chris,

I hope you have a happy, restful and safe Thanksgiving holiday. Even on the
hardest days, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve the people of Michigan. I
am also hopeful that upon your return we can redouble our efforts to defeat our
common enemy, COVID-19. Thank you for urging the federal government for
additional economic relief last week to support Michigan families and small
businesses.
As you know, after participating in several weeks of data calls with our state
epidemiologists and medical experts, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths
are surging across the state. At the current rate, we may be hitting our 2020 peak
for daily deaths right around the Christmas holiday.
This is the most urgent public health emergency our state has faced in our lifetimes,
and it demands our full, immediate, and unified attention. I am hopeful that when
the legislature reconvenes next week, we can work together in a bipartisan manner
on the following priorities during the few remaining session days of 2020 to address
the public health and economic crises our state is currently facing:
1. Pass a $100 million MI COVID Relief plan: Michigan families are
hurting, and while we must continue to advocate for meaningful support from
the federal government, we simply cannot afford to wait. It is crucial for us to
come together now to pass a targeted, state-based economic stimulus plan of
up to $100 million that will provide direct financial support to the families
 and small businesses that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. As you
know, Michigan is still facing a shortfall of up to $1 billion for next year, so it
is incumbent upon all of us to avoid the temptation to spend limited dollars
on non-critical projects.

2. Pass a permanent extension of unemployment benefits: On the heels of

the last recession, the legislature cut workers’ economic lifeline from 26
weeks to 20 and let inflation whittle away the $362 maximum weekly benefit.
Michigan’s benefits are in the bottom-third in the nation and the lowest in
the Great Lakes region. Earlier this fall, we worked together to pass
bipartisan legislation that codified my executive order to provide a temporary
extension of unemployment benefits to 26 weeks, but this legislation expires
at the end of the year. If we do not take bipartisan action now, thousands of
Michiganders could lose benefits right after the holidays. Let us work
together again to make this extension permanent. Further, I hope that you
will increase the weekly benefit and permanently expand our top-in-the-
nation Workshare program.

3. Pass legislation to protect public health: State government has already

taken targeted and temporary actions through emergency rules and orders to
limit indoor gatherings, require face coverings in public, and protect workers
on the job. These steps are based on the advice of public health experts to
avoid overwhelmed hospitals and death counts like we saw in the spring, but
there is more we can do together. Passing legislation to require masks in
public – which received bipartisan support this week – would greatly improve
compliance, assist law enforcement, and help slow the spread of COVID-19. I
also welcome your ideas and input on science-based solutions to protect
public health and save lives. Additionally, as federal Coronavirus Relief
Funds expire at the end of next month, we should focus spending on direct
public health costs like hospital overflow staffing, testing, PPE, and
mitigating the spread of COVID in our prisons and congregate care settings
that house our most vulnerable populations like those in our veterans homes,
adult foster care, and nursing homes. In the absence of federal funding, we
also need funding to begin preparations for vaccine distribution and
administration.
While there is real hope on the horizon with multiple vaccines becoming available in
the coming weeks and months, we are entering what could be a very dark and
deadly winter. The Lt. Governor and I have both lost people who were close to us
due to this virus, and I know people you care for have been impacted as well. As
Michiganders, we owe it to our medical workers, first responders, and other
frontline workers who are putting their lives on the line to protect us to unite so we
can beat this virus together.
Thank you for your attention to these important issues. I look forward to hearing
your ideas for how we can work together in our next quadrant meeting on Tuesday.
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving (and a Lions win),

Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of Michigan
CC: The Michigan Legislature