The legislative committee looking into the state’s COVID-19 response meets again Monday –where top health officials in Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration will face questions from lawmakers.
This will be the first committee hearing since the state Supreme Court struck down thegovernor’s continued use of emergency powers and encouraged the Legislature and Whitmer to strike abargain.
Republican state Representative Matt Hall (R-Emmett Twp.) chairs the joint House and Senate COVID-19 committee.
He expects there will be questions about infections in nursing homes, as well as why some partsof the economy were allowed to re-open while similar businesses remained in shutdown.
“You know, you can use a canoe, but you can’t use a motorboat. This store can stay open. Thisone is closed,” he said in a phone interview. “I just want to understand better how those decisions aremade, and I just want to understand better how those decisions were made and what impact data andscience had on those decisions.”
Hall said he also will ask about why the state’s health department chief quickly used a separateauthority to issue a similar set of emergency health orders.
“I expect there would be questions about those orders, too,” he said, “and talk and conversationabout those.”
Hall said he does not want the effort to become embroiled in election year politics – butacknowledged that may not be possible -- and he does not expect the committee to issue findings orrecommendations before November 3rd .
