“We can’t precisely dictate for all 800 districts precisely what a day looks like,” said Whitmer, saying debate must happen at the local level.
Whitmer used a COVID-19 news conference — her first in nearly two weeks — to call again for a national mask-wearing mandate and to criticize the Republican-led U.S. Senate for proposing no new funding for states and cities in the next round of relief aid. Michigan is facing a multibillion-dollar hole in the budget year that starts in October, and schools could begin instruction without knowing their state funding.
Budget director Chris Kolb denounced the Senate proposal as “woefully lacking,” while Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sandy Baruah said every major business organization in the state has urged the congressional delegation to include additional assistance for state and local governments.
“This is not a political or regional perspective,” Baruah said.
The state health department on Tuesday reported…
