Lansing Sun

Michigan's Gov. Gretchen Whitmer "missed the mark" and "moved our state further in the wrong direction" when she issued more restrictions in her stay-at-home order, a state representative from Clinton County said in a statement.

In his statement published on Michigan House Republicans, State Rep. Graham Filler (R-DeWitt) criticized Whitmer for her extended stay-at-home order "riddled with absurd restrictions."

"That's why my colleagues and I have continuously asked Gov. Whitmer and her administration to shift their focus from 'essential' vs. 'nonessential' to which jobs and activities can be done safely," Filler continued in his statement. "We’ve called on them to more accurately describe what businesses can open safely and which cannot and give the reasoning behind how these decisions are made. If the governor is going to order that individuals give up their rights and freedoms in the name of safety, she at least owes them a logical explanation."

Filler has represented District 93 since he first was elected to the seat in November 2018.

The 93rd District includes Clinton County and portions of Gratiot County, including the city of Ithaca and the townships of Sumner, Arcada, New Haven, North Shade, Newark, Fulton, Washington, North Star, Elba, Hamilton, Lafayette and Wheeler.

Filler's comments were among the latest the representative has offered to the governor and about the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The most up-to-date statistics about numbers of cases in Michigan can be viewed at Detroit Free Press.

His comments about the COVID-19 pandemic have also been directed to the public. Early in April, Filler said in an op-ed piece published in the Lansing State Journal that he encouraged all "to do what they can to be a part of the solution – not the problem" and to stay home as much as possible

"Abide by the executive orders that have been put in place," Filler said in his op-ed. "Don't panic and spread fear or frustration. Be respectful to your neighbors, and don’t take more than you need when you venture out to the store for supplies. Find a local charity or small business to support if you are able. We will all get through this quicker if everyone takes this seriously and bands together to stop this virus from spreading."

Filler was critical of Whitmer's extension of her "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order to the end of May as Michigan reported the third-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the nation.

In his own statement issued the same day, Filler said, "the governor moved in the wrong direction" and that "she put even more restrictions on Michigan workers."

Filler specifically called out portions of the governor's extended order that directed stores to "no longer sell what she considers nonessential items and block off those areas so customers cannot access them."

"I've heard from so many people in our community who are struggling to get by because the governor has deemed them nonessential and they still can’t get through to file for unemployment assistance," Filler said in his statement. "It's especially frustrating for people who have jobs they could do safely outdoors without interacting with others."

Many in Michigan could safely return to work "if the governor simply shifted focus and started looking at jobs as 'safe' or 'unsafe,' rather than 'essential' or 'nonessential,' Filler said.

New Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency guidelines could also provide information about possible broader exemptions for workers "in safe seasonal trades," such as lawn care, horticulture and construction, Filler said.

"Adopting the new guidelines will put more people back to work, so they can bring home a paycheck again before they fall ever further behind on their bills," Filler told Michigan House Republicans. "It's the first step the governor needs to take to help people get back on their feet."

Whitmer has received wide-ranging criticism over her extended order, including decidedly not-socially-distant protests and litigation, but the order is holding.