Governor OK Violating Her Own Rules At Event, But Parents At Hillsdale Graduation Are Lawbreakers
As was the case with protests, state officials appear selective on when rule-breaking is OK
On Saturday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attended the Michigan National Guard’s annual Pass and Review ceremony, with 620 troops and about 100 spectators present at Camp Grayling.
The event appears to violate Whitmer’s executive order that limits outdoor events to fewer than 100 people.
According to the Traverse City Record-Eagle, “Whitmer’s spokesperson said the appearance sent no mixed messages.”
The Recorded-Eagle added that the event “took place outdoors with universal masking and social distancing among all participants.”
State officials displayed a very different attitude toward another ceremony recognizing an important milestone: the Hillsdale College commencement assembly on July 18.
The Detroit News reported that at the Hillsdale ceremony, “attendees were seated six feet apart and were asked not to walk around. The college required everyone to wear a mask, handing them out for free at entrances. The college also took guests’ temperatures.”
But those precautions did not prevent Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office from declaring that the ceremony was illegal, according to The Detroit News.
Ryan Jarvi, press secretary for the attorney general, told the Detroit News organized gatherings of more than 100 people are prohibited in the part of the state where Hillsdale College is located.
“Such events clearly show a lack of consideration for the dangerous threat this virus presents,” Jarvi said, according to The Detroit News. “Should this event proceed, we trust the local law enforcement agencies to exercise their authority and discretion in their enforcement efforts.”
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.