Michigan GOP bill would require Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to notify lawmakers if she's leaving state

DETROIT – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would need to notify legislative leaders when leaving the state if a new GOP bill – with clear political motivations – becomes law.

The measure, proposed by Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, comes as Republicans ridicule Whitmer over a controversial trip to Florida to visit her ailing father. Critics blasted the trip, arguing it was hypocritical given state travel advice during a pandemic, and asked the governor to give more details about her travel.

Under the bill, the governor would need to notify the Senate majority and minority leaders, along with the House speaker and House minority leader. The notification must be in writing, indicate the expected length of the trip and state who will serve as acting governor.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is first in line to be acting governor when Whitmer is out of state.

More on Whitmer's travel:

• FAA: Company that flew Whitmer to Florida not authorized to operate charter flights

• Gov. Whitmer discloses cost of trip to visit her father and how it was paid for

Bobby Leddy, Whitmer's press secretary, said the Legislature should stop taking political potshots and wasting time.

"It would behoove the Legislature to read the Michigan Constitution, which clearly outlines a process to ensure that there is always an acting governor available to continue the functions of the state in case of an emergency," Leddy aid.

"If the Legislature wants to waste their time playing games, that’s their own decision, but Governor Whitmer is going to remain focused on ending this pandemic and putting Michigan back to work.”

Whitmer has defended the trip, saying she needed to help her father.

"When you're the governor of Michigan, you're always on the clock, but it doesn't mean that you're not also a daughter who shows up when a family member needs her," Whitmer said in a news conference recently.

"This flight was not a gift. This flight was not paid for at taxpayer expense. And it was, I don't know that there's anything more to add. When a family member of mine needs a little help though, I'm going to show up, just like when we have a crisis here, we're going to work 24/7 to keep the people of the state safe."

Details of Whitmer's March trip to Florida

Whitmer traveled to Florida in March to visit her father but refused to release details of the trip for weeks. The governor's staff had cited security concerns; in the fall, state and federal officials arrested a group of men accused of plotting to kidnap the governor.

Late last week though, Whitmer chief of staff JoAnne Huls said a nonprofit corporation initially created to pay for Whitmer's inauguration spent $27,521 for the entire flight. Whitmer used her own money to pay $855 for her seat, spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said.

But Federal Aviation Administration records indicate the company that owns the plane she used does not have the authority to provide charter flights. Instead, it operates under a broader set of federal regulations that have fewer safety and training regulations.

An agency spokesperson confirmed the FAA was reviewing the matter.

More: Public relations experts explain why stories about governor's Florida trip won't go away

Republicans argue the flight is evidence that Whitmer has a different set of rules for herself and administration officials than those for other state residents. They point to restrictions instituted very early in the pandemic that prevented families from seeing loved ones in nursing homes or from holding funerals.

Whitmer and other state officials have touted the need for vaccinations, noting immunization is the key to returning to normalcy. But the governor was not fully vaccinated when she made the trip.

Tricia Foster, the governor's chief operating officer, and Health Department Director Elizabeth Hertel also traveled out of state recently, despite recent Michigan guidance discouraging nonessential travel.

The governor also defended their travel.

In addition to the Florida trip, Whitmer has traveled to Washington, D.C., twice this year. She attended the inauguration of President Joe Biden with her daughter and visited Michigan's National Guard troops sent to the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan GOP bill targets Gretchen Whitmer's out-of-state travel plans