A northern Michigan county commission has thrown its support behind an effort to impeach Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
Kalkaska County commissioners voted 4-2 on Friday to back a push by several Republican legislators to launch an investigation of Whitmer’s conduct during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Unconstitutional executive orders, let me make that very clear, the executive orders issued by Governor Whitmer are the primary cause of the economic crisis Kalkaska County is experiencing,” Commissioner David Comai said, ABC 4 reported.
One resident who spoke in opposition to the resolution dismissed it, claiming it “is really just calling attention to Kalkaska as an area that wants to be rebellious.”
The resolution will be sent to the legislature.
House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R), who is serving his final term, has said impeachment will not come up for a vote in the final days of this legislative session.
“He said an effort to impeach Whitmer would lack merit and would be every bit as ‘shameful’ as the impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump,” according to ABC 12.
“Sometimes you have to ignore the polls and do what’s right to lead,” Michigan state Rep. Matt Maddock (R) told The Kyle Olson Show last week, adding he believed it was a mistake to make a decision “that fast” on the issue.
In Michigan, the House of Representatives initiates impeachment, which requires a majority vote. In the next legislative session, Republicans will have a 58-52 majority, according to Mlive.
Three representatives would be appointed to prosecute the impeachment case in the Senate. Two-thirds of senators must vote to convict the governor in order for her to be removed. Republicans hold a 22-16 majority in that chamber, Ballotpedia reported, so at least four Democrats would need to vote affirmatively for removal.
Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays–download full podcast episodes. Follow him on Parler.