Gilchrist wantsmask mandate in Legislature
LANSING » Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II calledwednesday for Republican legislative leaders to enact and enforce a mask requirement inside the House and Senate chambers, saying he fears for the safety of his family and others when lawmakers do not wear a face covering.
The Democrat presides over session in the Senate, which will return Thursday to start passing bills following a Michigan Supreme Court ruling that invalidated Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus orders. The state health department requires masks at indoor non-residential gatherings, but the Legislature is seen as exempt from that order and the governor’s prior face covering order — first issued in April — because it is a separate branch of government.
Though legislators have been encouraged to wear masks, many Republicans do not or remove them for extended periods.
In an “open letter,” Gilchrist urged Senatemajority Leader Mike Shirkey of Clarklake and House Speaker Lee Chatfield of Levering to require face coverings. He said he is the father of young children and has lost 23 people to COVID-19.
Masks, he wrote, are a “matter of science” and are proven to be an effective, simpleway to slowthe spread of the virus.
Messages seeking comment were left with the leaders’ spokespeople. They have previously cited constitutional issues compelling elected lawmakers to wear face coverings, though Democrats have noted legislators must adhere to various rules in the chambers. President Donald Trump, who is recovering from the virus, has cast doubt on the widely accepted scientific conclusions of his own administration strongly urging the use of face coverings.
“The decision to wear a mask demonstrates that you respect the safety of everyone around you and everyone that they care about,” Gilchrist said. “So let us model the safest behavior with the hopes that otherswould do the same.”
At least four members of the 148-seat Legislature have had a confirmed case of COVID-19. A fifth likely died of the virus inmarch, though he was not tested for it, his mother has said.
House Minority Leader Christine Greig of Farmington Hills recently said requiring members to wear face coverings is a “no-brainer” given ahouse rule requiringmen towear neckties. “As elected leaders, it is critically important that we lead by example and stop the politicization of this life-saving guidance,” she said.