Shiawassee Times

In late April, Reps. Ben Fredrick (R-Owosso) and Graham Filler (R-DeWitt) released a public statement on Michigan House Republicans detailing a proposed plan to help the state of Michigan recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

“There’s no doubt everyone is worried about their loved ones and the possibility of them contracting the virus,” reads the statement. “Not knowing what the future holds for our state is hard. People deserve some peace of mind about what comes next. That’s why we came together with our colleagues in the House to develop a plan that takes a regional approach to reopen the economy.”

In the press release, highlights of the proposed plan included implementing a task force, which would include the chief medical officer and other representatives from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, the Legislature and outside groups. The purpose of the task force would be to help assign counties into one of three tiers, while making public recommendations to the governor based on data such as hospital administration rates as well as the prevalence and spread of the coronavirus. 

Rep. Graham Filler | Michigan House Republicans

Other highlights of the proposed plan included placing the counties with the highest number of coronavirus cases -- which include Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties -- in the first tier with the highest restrictions.

Counties that might have heightened prevalence and risk associated with COVID-19 will be placed in the second tier, meaning that they will have restrictions with some modifications in place. They would be allowed necessary gatherings, such as small family events and funerals, and travel between residences while still discouraging nonessential travel.

The third tier would include counties with the lowest prevalence of the virus that “could move toward normalcy more quickly.” 

“We see this as a reasonable plan that can and should receive bipartisan support,” said the authors of the statement. “The governor has already given an indication that she’s interested in taking a regional approach to re-engaging the economy, and we share in her mission to prioritize public health. We hope to work with her in the coming weeks to start taking steps toward reopening our state.” 

Frederick represents Shiawassee County and portions of Saginaw County in the Michigan House. Rep. Filler represents Clinton County and a portion of Gratiot County.