Detroit City Wire

Rep. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, calls on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to relax COVID-19 measures that are limiting economic activities, and ensure that appropriations are fairly distributed.

Albert, who was appointed chairman by the House's new leadership, Speaker-elect Jason Wentworth, R-Farwell, thinks easing up the restrictions is a must “before the Legislature can have meaningful conversations about the next steps in allocating federal COVID-19 relief funds,” The Detroit News reported.

"As the 101st Legislature prepares to convene next week, I am counting on the governor to be a full partner with lawmakers as mandated by our Constitution," Albert said. "I fully intend to employ the checks and balances required in our system of government. We will not simply hand over billions of taxpayer dollars to extend the current way of governing.”

He also said that Michigan’s COVID-19 responses should no longer be based and relied on one person, stating further that no specific and clear metrics have been given by the Whitmer administration.

“It’s difficult to properly allocate relief funds when the governor still has not informed Michiganders when or under what conditions we can have our freedoms back," he said. "What Michigan needs is clarity and hope, and we’re not getting either from the governor.”