by Mary Margaret Olohan
The governor of Michigan dodged a question on whether she would rule out martial law as a response to the coronavirus pandemic Friday.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer discussed the outbreak of the coronavirus Friday morning on the Michael Patrick Shiels talk radio show. Shiels asked Whitmer whether she would declare martial law in the state of Michigan.
“Could we get to a position where it’s sort of like martial law, where everything is closed and everybody stays home, like it is in Italy, for instance ,where you only have the hospitals and the drug stores open?” Shiels asked.
“I think we have to make decisions based on where the facts and science dictate,” Whitmer said. “At this juncture it is too early to make any statements — it wouldn’t be responsible to make any statements on that front.”
“I will tell you that every decision we make, we will be transparent about it, what’s driving the decision,” she added. “We will share it as quickly as we can with the public once the decision has been made and we will always put the health and safety of the people of the state first and foremost and that will drive all decisions.”
Whitmer announced the closure of all schools until April 16 in the state of Michigan on Thursday.
“I am working with partners across state government to ensure educators, parents, and students have the support they need, and to ensure our children who rely on school for meals have access to food,” the governor tweeted Thursday afternoon. “I know this will be a tough time, but we’re doing this to keep the most people we can safe. I urge everyone to make smart choices during this time and to do everything they can to protect themselves and their families.”
Whitmer’s office did not yet respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
– – –
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Gretchen Whitmer” by Julia Pickett. CC BY-SA 4.0.
