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The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce joined 14 other leading business groups in Michigan in sending the letter below to Governor Gretchen Whitmer and legislative leaders regarding enacting smart COVID-19 policies that allow Michigan’s economic recovery to continue.

The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer
The Honorable Mike Shirkey
The Honorable Lee Chatfield

On behalf of our collective membership, we applaud your work together to move Michigan forward, with a priority of protecting lives and livelihoods.

As you continue to craft good policy and best practices to ensure Michigan businesses can operate safely, we hope you consider the following points.

  1. Businesses need clarity, consistency, and transparency on decisions made. There should be clear communication with our business community on decisions made that affect their operations, employees and bottom line. Our state benefits when decisions are consistent and there is transparent communication between citizens and government. We remain dedicated to serving not only as a trusted voice of Michigan’s businesses, but also as a resource to you as challenging decisions are made.
  2. All industries should be allowed to open with proper safety protocols. Businesses have been resilient during this unprecedented time, adapting to overcome barriers while keeping their employees and customers safe. Decisions should not be made without considering all industries. Businesses of all types and sizes have proven that they are flexible and deserve to be a part of Michigan’s recovery.
  3. Going forward, we must be precise on how we control outbreaks. Michigan has greatly varied throughout this pandemic. Our health experts have learned a lot about the virus and how to control outbreaks, and it is important to lean on this knowledge to support targeted approaches when outbreaks occur and this should be supported by our leaders.
  4. Continue to utilize best practices – informed by data – on ways to protect our citizens. Knowledge about the virus, ways to protect our citizens, and best practices have greatly developed over the past several months. However, the most fundamental health and safety protocols proven to reduce the spread – wearing masks, handwashing, social distancing, and staying home when sick or exposed to the virus – should continue to be the norm. These practices ensure that business can continue to operate safely.

Thank you for your leadership in addressing the impact of COVID-19 on our businesses, on our citizens, and Michigan as a whole. We appreciate your consideration and we look forward to continuing to partner with you as we work toward a strong recovery.