On September 29, Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer signed a Michigan state budget plan that she referred to as “bipartisan.”
Two interesting items in the budget,
Whitmer vetoed roughly $17 million in abortion-related funding proposed by Republicans, which she argued would have promoted an “anti-choice political agenda.”
The vetoes include $10 million that Republicans included for a marketing campaign to promote adoption as an alternative to abortion, $3 million for a new “maternal navigator pilot program” provided funding to organizations that promote alternatives to abortion and $1.5 million for “pregnancy resource centers” that advise against abortion. Democrats openly favor abortion, and seek to strengthen it wherever they can.
Other (Republican) language in the budget bars local health departments from issuing or enforcing mask mandates for individuals under the age of 18. Any health department with a mask mandate in place on Friday, Oct. 1, would lose state funding unless the order was supported by their county board of commissioners, which is unlikely in many conservative and rural parts of the state. They also sought to prohibit local vaccination rules.
Whitmer grudgingly signed the budget, even though it removed mask mandates for children under the age of 18.
Schools in Berrien County now have control over mask-wearing protocols, and some were quick to remove the mandate immediately. Dr. Dan Applegate, Niles Community Schools superintendent confirmed that they have dropped the mask mandate. Some of the parents of students are encouraged by the move.
“I'm excited because the kids need a bit more normalcy, said Cathie Waggoner, Parent of Niles High School student. “I feel like we're apt to see more quarantine, but I'm excited the kids get back to more normalcy.”
The Andrews University Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion called the removal of the Berrien County mask mandate “infuriating”, blaming Michigan Republican state politicians for the change.
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