Detroit City Wire

Recent restrictions put in place by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have drawn criticism for their scope and reach, including many who question why the state's restrictions vary so much from those in other states.

For those in fields such as landscaping -- a profession permitted to continue operations in other states – Whitmer's ban on the business has generated frustration.

Bob Kuszmaul, who has owned D&B Plants in Richmond for 37 years, told The Detroit News that his business is on the edge of insolvency. 

Kuszmaul said he understands a need for caution, but he feels that Whitmer's order goes too far. "A lot of these functions can be done safely. They can be done with zero contact. Not minimal. Zero," he told The Detroit News.

At greatest contention is the failure of Whitmer's most recent order to follow the recommendations from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. 

Instead of permitting the definition of "critical infrastructure workers" to automatically update with the newest guidance from the agency, Whitmer's latest order sticks to the definitions the agency gave on March 19. The most recent agency guidance was issued on March 28.

The latest agency guidance includes landscapers, house construction workers, 2020 Census workers, clergy and people who work at firearms stores and ranges. By sticking to the March 19 definitions, Whitmer's order continues to classify those individuals as nonessential.

Unlike her gubernatorial peers in Ohio and Indiana, Whitmer said that rather than follow the federal agency's new guidance, Michigan needs to "double down" on existing measures in order to save lives.

"While we can come up with all sorts of scenarios where we can make an argument that someone is safe in whatever activity it is they want to do, every single exception to a 'Stay Home, Stay Safe' order makes this more porous and makes it less likely to work," Whitmer said.

In response, state House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) said that Michigan should follow the latest guidance and remain data-driven in its approach to COVID-19.