Governor Gretchen Whitmer
An essential principle of the United States is that it is a free country, with individual liberties guaranteed, and government power limited. That concept is now being tested. A deadly worldwide pandemic has led to draconian lockdowns, forced closings of businesses, and even mandatory "stay at home" orders, some with Orwellian, friendly sounding names like "Safer at Home" or "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" - but still mandatory and enforced by police. The unprecedented, far-reaching orders have been issued by unelected county health officers as well as by governors of states.
Are these orders legal? Do state governors have the legal and Constitutional authority to forcibly close all "non-essential" businesses? To confine the entire population in their homes indefinitely without a trial? Who gets to decide which businesses are non-essential? In California, churches, synagogues and mosques have been deemed "non-essential" and ordered closed, but liquor and hardware stores are still open and doing a bustling business.
President Trump proclaimed a national state of emergency under the
National Emergencies Act on March 13, 2020. However,
nothing in that proclamation closed any businesses, confined anyone in their homes or infringed on any other constitutional rights or liberties. That, and other actions by the federal government merely cleared away certain regulatory roadblocks that could interfere with the government's response to the pandemic.
Comment: Russia accomplished impressive growth by way of the economic policies it developed under the pressure of US sanctions... too bad they're undoing much of what was accomplished by succumbing to the fear and authoritarian propaganda spreading across the world. Despite what Matviyenko thinks, that is a tragedy!