SE Oakland News

Oakland County small businesses have reason to feel more secure following the board of commissioners' vote to add more funding into a grant package.

Oakland County Executive David Coulter announced the county is adding $12 million into a stabilization fund, which will quadruple the original funding, according to Patch.com. The $3 million originally placed in the fund has been quickly exhausted by the county's small businesses in need. Over 7,000 small businesses have applied for the grants.  

“This allocation quadruples the first stage of our assistance package and provides an immediate infusion of working capital for our small businesses,” Coulter told Patch.com. “I applaud the board of commissioners for moving so quickly and so aggressively to help stabilize a dire reality for our small businesses caused by this global health crisis.”

Grant funding is to be used for supporting payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses or other expenses. Patch.com reported the small businesses have a need of $80 million. The struggle is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought the economy to a standstill. Record-setting employment numbers have been recorded across the nation as states struggle to reopen and begin a journey to what is being described as the "new normal."

The Michigan Legislature has run out of patience and filed a lawsuit targeting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders. The joint lawsuit filed by the Senate and House accuses the governor of failing to comply with state law and disregarding the state's constitution. Sen. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly) voiced support of the lawsuit in a press release on MiSenateGOP. 

“The constitution doesn’t fly out the window because of our current challenges; that is an incredibly dangerous precedent and goes against the very principles on which our country was founded. Limiting the role of the Legislature also limits the input of the public in making many important decisions that greatly affect their daily lives,” Johnson wrote. 

She also added that Whitmer cannot serve as both governor and lawmaker at the same time, and the three branches of government are needed to ensure checks and balances. The governor’s action, she argued, has taken the people’s voice out of government.  

“People’s elected representatives cannot be sidelined indefinitely at the whim of the governor,” she wrote on MiSenateGOP. “The lawsuit is an important step in restoring the people’s voice in the Capitol.”