Attorney David Helm is representing four Michigan residents in federal court who are suing Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over her executive order, arguing that it violates the First and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution.
These residents are arguing that her order to make businesses shut down and ban travel to private homes and freely associate with one another violates the Constitution.
“It’s taking a sledgehammer to an ant,” Helm told WJBK. “We believe it is over-broad and over-reaching. There is a way to do it appropriately without infringing on Constitutional rights like the governor has.”
“We are not arguing for political dissidence or any sort of protest. What we are saying, is that people have the right to associate with their friends and family. And that is being unjustly infringed,” he added.
The governor’s press secretary told WJBK that the office is not commenting on pending litigation. Whitmer doubled-down on her stay-at-home order, saying that it was the only way to contain the spread of the virus.
There is a lawsuit also being filed at the state level.
Whitmer has faced a lot of pushback among conservatives after her executive order passed. Grassroots conservatives started a petition on Change.org to recall Gov. Whitmer, which so far has more than 247,000 signatures, while more than 343,000 Michigan residents joined a Facebook group called “Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine.”
Multiple protests against the governor are scheduled, including one where protesters plan to descend upon the state capitol in Lansing and create a traffic jam with their cars. More than 4,800 people are expected to attend that event, called “Operation Gridlock.”