{"id":1018041,"date":"2021-11-16T03:28:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T08:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1018041"},"modified":"2021-11-16T03:28:46","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T08:28:46","slug":"gretchen-whitmer-vetoes-bill-forgiving-michigan-businesses-for-first-time-coronavirus-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gretchen-whitmer-vetoes-bill-forgiving-michigan-businesses-for-first-time-coronavirus-violations\/","title":{"rendered":"Gretchen Whitmer Vetoes Bill Forgiving Michigan Businesses for First-Time Coronavirus Violations"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgretchen-whitmer-vetoes-bill-forgiving-michigan-businesses-for-first-time-coronavirus-violations%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1018041&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) vetoed a bill passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature this month that would have prohibited the state from fining a business the first time it violated coronavirus orders.<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer reasoned in her veto notice, dated November 11, that granting the one-time forgiveness waiver to Michigan businesses would be a violation of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and that&nbsp;<a class=\"x5l\" title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"http:\/\/www.legislature.mi.gov\/documents\/2021-2022\/billenrolled\/House\/pdf\/2021-HNB-4501.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">House Bill 4501<\/a>&nbsp;would therefore \u201chave disastrous consequences\u201d for the state.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cBy prohibiting the Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration (MIOSHA) from assessing a fine for an employer\u2019s first violation of a COVID-19 emergency standard, HB 4501 would cause Michigan to fall below the minimum standard required by federal law, including 29 C.F.R. \u00a7 1902.37(12),\u201d Whitmer&nbsp;<a class=\"x5l\" title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1oQCklLNU6NXz2A3RXDqSVBNvkguUKdJk\/view\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote<\/a>. \u201cThat would have disastrous consequences for our state.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elaborating on said consequences, Whitmer stated that \u201cwhen a state fails to maintain the minimum standard, it loses control over enforcement of workplace standards. That would mean higher penalties, an end to voluntary safety outreach services, and the loss of Michigan stakeholder voices in our occupational health and safety program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will not let that happen,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>House Bill 4501 was proposed as an amendment to MIOSHA laws. The legislation passed the Michigan House in May with substantial Democrat support and passed the Michigan Senate in November. The bill noted that any business that was granted the fine forgiveness would be required to take corrective action to prevent any future violations.<\/p>\n<p>The bill also called for businesses that had been fined for violating unconstitutional coronavirus orders to be reimbursed for those fines.<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer, who notoriously imposed stringent school and business lockdowns, capacity limitations, mask mandates, and more in the midst of the pandemic, was&nbsp;<a title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2020\/10\/13\/michigan-supreme-court-gretchen-whitmers-coronavirus-orders-are-voided-now-not-october-30\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stripped<\/a>&nbsp;of her emergency executive order powers by the Michigan Supreme Court in October 2020, a decision that effectively voided any active coronavirus orders she had in place.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_18762258\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"35\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/GettyImages-1214247337.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18762258\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/GettyImages-1214247337.jpg\" alt=\"People demonstrate during the Michigan Conservative Coalition organized &quot;Operation Haircut&quot; outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan on May 20, 2020. - The group is protesting Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer&#039;s mandatory closure to curtail the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY \/ AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY\/AFP via Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">People demonstrate during a Michigan Conservative Coalition protest against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer\u2019s lockdowns outside the Michigan Capitol in Lansing on May 20, 2020. (JEFF KOWALSKY\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The&nbsp;<em>Detroit News<\/em>&nbsp;<a class=\"x5l\" title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/michigan\/2021\/11\/12\/whitmer-vetoes-bill-would-have-forgiven-covid-workplace-violations\/8592104002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">noted<\/a>&nbsp;that some in Michigan have argued those orders \u2014 which were deemed unconstitutional as a result of the Court\u2019s decision \u2014 were at least partially if not fully the basis for some of the violations that businesses were hit with.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the veto of House Bill 4501 comes after the&nbsp;<em>News<\/em>&nbsp;also&nbsp;<a class=\"x5l\" title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/michigan\/2021\/11\/01\/miosha-dismisses-covid-fine-port-huron-threatens-depose-director\/6199144001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">revealed<\/a>&nbsp;that an MIOSHA inspector who had fined the city of Port Huron $6,300 in July 2020 for coronavirus violations had burned notes and destroyed emails related to his inspection. The alarming discovery that he had rid of pertinent records followed a Port Huron lawyer challenging MIOSHA for the citations the city had received. MIOSHA was ultimately forced to dismiss the $6,300 fine at the end of October 2021.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>State Rep. Timothy Beson (R-Bay City), who introduced House Bill 4501, lambasted Whitmer for continuing \u201cto stiff-arm our job providers,\u201d saying in a statement that \u201conce again, Gov. Whitmer has turned her back on small businesses. Her ridiculous veto shows no mercy to employers that have put in money, time and effort to protect employees and customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">Whitmer rejecting giving businesses a second chance before fining them ironically coincides with the governor repeatedly coming under fire for violating her own coronavirus policies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">On one occasion, the Michigan Democrat&nbsp;<\/span>quietly&nbsp;<a title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/05\/20\/florida-private-jet-scandal-threatens-gretchen-whitmers-political-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chartered<\/a>&nbsp;a private jet to Florida in March so she could visit her father, just prior to warning Michigan spring breakers not to travel. Whitmer was also&nbsp;<a title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/05\/23\/exclusive-photo-gretchen-whitmer-violates-own-coronavirus-orders-at-dive-bar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">caught<\/a>&nbsp;in May at a dive bar with a large group and was&nbsp;<a class=\"x5l\" title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EricLloyd\/status\/1396558190565859330?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">forced<\/a>&nbsp;to apologize for directly violating her own capacity mandate.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, Whitmer was&nbsp;<a title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/10\/27\/michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer-bucks-mask-mandate-at-d-c-bar-before-skipping-campaign-event-for-mcauliffe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">spotted<\/a>&nbsp;maskless in D.C. in October at a posh indoor bar, a direct violation of Mayor Muriel Bowser\u2019s (D) mask mandate.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"8.8181818181818\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">latest:<\/p>\n<p>before bailing on a campaign event for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TerryMcAuliffe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TerryMcAuliffe<\/a> on Saturday, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gretchenwhitmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@gretchenwhitmer<\/a> was spotted maskless at a swanky bar in D.C. Friday night, as seen in photos sent to the Free Beacon<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/odgm1JqRMM\">https:\/\/t.co\/odgm1JqRMM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alex Nester (@alexmnester) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alexmnester\/status\/1452750402869473288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 25, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The conservative research group Michigan Rising Action highlighted Whitmer\u2019s apparent hypocrisy surrounding coronavirus orders and called her veto a \u201cslap in the face\u201d for small businesses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGretchen Whitmer and MIOSHA have been more focused on hamstringing job creators than actually keeping Michigan safe,\u201d the group\u2019s executive director, Eric Ventimiglia, said in a statement. \u201cFor a governor who has been caught violating her own rules on many occasions, Whitmer\u2019s veto is a slap in the face to small businesses across the state,\u201d he continued, adding that Michiganders are \u201cfed up with Gretchen Whitmer and her \u2018rules for thee, not for me\u2019 mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Write to Ashley Oliver at <a href=\"mailto:aoliver@breitbart.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aoliver@breitbart.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) vetoed a bill passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature this month that would have prohibited the state from fining a business the first time it &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1018041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1018041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1018041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1018041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1018041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1018041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1018041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}