‘Unlock Michigan’ Nears Signature Goal to Repeal Gov. Whitmer’s Emergency Powers, End Ongoing Lockdown

Unlock Michigan has nearly reached its goal of 500,000 signatures in an attempt to repeal the governor’s powers that are maintaining the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.

The group has to submit 340,000 valid signatures to trigger a legislative vote on repealing the 1945 law. The group set a goal significantly above that mark and is poised to achieve it.

“We’re ready to wrap up after this coming weekend,” Unlock Michigan spokesman Fred Wszolek told Breitbart News.

“We’re over 450,000 signatures, and it’s time to go all out to wrap it up this week,” he said.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has been using the 1945 law to repeatedly extend a “state of emergency,” which gives her virtually unilateral decision-making power on everything from masks to schools to which businesses can be open.

Wszolek recently told The Kyle Olson Show that 60,000 activists are collecting signatures to repeal the law and thus, effectively require the governor to work with the legislature to determine the way forward.

“They don’t wait for instructions from headquarters; they’re out there just doing this on their own,” he said.

“It’s fantastic. It’s the most exciting grassroots thing I’ve seen in a while,” Wszolek said.

He said the activists are “really frustrated” because Whitmer “just seems to be calling audibles.”

Wszolek said a 1976 law, which allows a governor to act in an event of a natural disaster, would remain. An emergency could last, at most, 28 days.

Once the signatures are validated by the state Board of Elections, the legislature has 40 session days to pass it. If it does not, it will go on the 2022 ballot, and likely appear alongside Whitmer, who would be running for reelection at that time.

More information can be found at UnlockMichigan.com.

Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Listen to segments on YouTube or download full podcast episodes. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, and follow him on Parler.