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Whitmer calls on Republicans for COVID-19 relief bill

Courtesy Governor Gretchen Whitmer's Facebook

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is again calling on the Republican leaders in the state legislature to provide some measure of COVID-relief. However, the plea is likely to fall on deaf ears.

“It's a very scary moment for a lot of people," said Whitmer. "And while there's incredible hope and reason to feel optimistic about next year, we need to take some action now.”

For Governor Whitmer action would be in the form of a Covid-relief bill, a permanent extension of unemployment benefits to 26 weeks, and a mask mandate. The latter two are political hot-potatoes for Republicans. The first one might be negotiable, but not on a timeline that helps Michigan residents before the end of the year.

Whitmer says she thinks something needs to be done on the state level because federal legislators are shirking their duties as well.

“It's an the legislature to take some action that's on Congress as well,” Whitmer said.

Though Congress is locked in a partisan battle between the chambers, Michigan’s Republican legislature hasn’t even passed bills for Whitmer to sign or veto. The stalemate is likely to last into 2021.