LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, issued the following statement Wednesday after the Legislature filed a lawsuit against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for violating state law and disregarding the Michigan Constitution:
“With our co-equal branches of government, the Legislature and governor should work together for the good of the people. Under state law, the governor must have approval from the Legislature to extend emergency declarations.
“Since the governor has tried to extend these declarations apart from the Legislature, we had no choice but to file a lawsuit.
“We didn’t want to reach this point. We were hoping negotiation and compromise with the governor could still be achieved.
“But people are struggling and hurting, and we need to move forward to not only protect the Legislature’s constitutional rights but also to protect the voice of the people who are crying out for relief and common-sense restrictions.
“I remain committed to protecting the safety of our residents — especially our most vulnerable — while continuing to advocate for the right of people to implement safe practices to begin to resume their daily activities.”