CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH JAKE PUTALA, UNLOCK MICHIGAN
The Unlock Michigan campaign to repeal the 1945 law that Governor Gretchen Whitmer has used to issue executive orders amidst the coronavirus pandemic has reached its goal of collecting 500,000 signatures. The group says it accomplished the goal in 80 days, and it includes people from all 83 Michigan counties.
They need 340,000 signatures to get the proposal before the Michigan legislature, which could approve it and Whitmer could not veto it.
“It’s been an exciting day here in the U.P., all the way down to Detroit, and all points in between,” said Jake Putala, the Upper Peninsula Regional Director for Unlock Michigan. “Our initial numbers show that we outperformed (other parts of the state) in the U.P. We had a strong grassroots effort in place, and I’m really proud of them. Our volunteers were beating the pavement seven days a week from Ironwood all the way to DeTour. It just goes to show that a lot of people in the U.P. are fed up with what’s going on at the state level, and they want to restore separation of powers and checks and balances into this process.”
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s (D) office was quoted Wednesday as saying it could take 105 days to certify the signatures, which would move past the election and into 2021.
“We’re going to watch it really closely, but we have a sworn declaration from the Bureau of Elections director before the Supreme Court, stating that it takes about 60 days for their bureau to process these types of signatures,” Putala told RRN News. “That would seem to be in conflict with what the Secretary said today. Our army of volunteers will put pressure on, telling the Secretary of State that we got 500,000 signatures in less than 80 days, so we expect you to process a small sample of these signatures in 60 days or less.”
There has been controversy in the Detroit media surrounding secret recordings of people associated with the campaign telling paid signature collectors to use dishonest means for collecting them. Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel have both publicly said that there was deception going on. Putala says not up here.
“I’m responsible for the 15 counties above the bridge,” Petula told RRN News. “I can assure you that every county team in the U.P. has conducted themselves professionally. The amount of work they’ve put in to collect these signatures has been incredible.”
If the legislature does not approve the proposal once signatures are certified, then the repeal would go on the 2022 ballot for a statewide vote.
Separately, a case challenging the governor’s use of these powers is still pending before the Michigan Supreme Court, after oral arguments were heard two weeks ago.
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