by David Krayden, The Daily Caller:

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Thursday extended her state’s lockdown until May 28 and increased her executive powers — unleashing a torrent of protest from opponents who want the economy to reopen.

Whitmer said the Republicans who control the state legislature are endangering lives by not keeping the lockdown in place to prevent infection from the coronavirus, Fox News reported.

A militia group with no political affiliation from Michigan stands in front of the Governors office after protesters occupied the state capitol building during a vote to approve the extension of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency declaration/stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan, U.S. Apr. 30, 2020. REUTERS/Seth Herald

Protesters stormed the legislature in Lansing — some armed with rifles — demanding that the governor loosen the many restrictions she has placed on the lives of people in the state, Fox reported. (RELATED: Gretchen Whitmer Fires Back At Opponents, Refuses To Sign Any Bill That Limits Her Authority)

“By refusing to extend the emergency and disaster declaration, Republican lawmakers are putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk,” she said in a statement. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

Whitmer gains more authority with the latest emergency declaration. She can issue executive orders that are not contingent upon legislative approval, according to Fox.

Republicans in the state House and Senate passed resolutions Thursday that seek to limit her authority and reverse her decision to force citizens to stay at home at home. (RELATED: ‘No Penalty For Authoritarianism’: Tucker Carlson Blasts ‘Mediocre Politician’ Gretchen Whitmer’s ‘Power’ Grabs)

Whitmer vowed to veto the bill and any others “that constrain her ability to protect the people of Michigan from this deadly virus in a timely manner,” The Detroit News reported.

On Apr. 15, anti-lockdown protesters brought their message to the front door of Whitmer’s house.

Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano cited Whitmer’s aggressive social distancing measures on a recent “Fox & Friends” segment and suggested she not “treat us as though we are children.”

General Motors Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra poses with Democratic Representative Elissa Slotkin and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the GM Orion Assembly Plant in Lake Orion, Michigan, U.S. March 22, 2019. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

Whitmer has called abortion a “life sustaining” experience that is essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro called Whitmer “corrupt” and “tone deaf” for hiring a leftist activist group named Great Lakes Community Engagement to assist the Michigan Department of Health to track people in the state who have become infected with the coronavirus.

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