Governor Half-Whit Tightens The Screws

Not content with merely extending the "Stay Home, Stay Safe" Order for thirty days as the legislature allowed, our governor has decided to make it more restrictive with a far more expansive executive order. Whether she did this vindictively after being refused her demand to extend it 70 days is an exercise best left to the reader to decide.

I do like how her declaration starts off with some carefully choosen wording:

There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for this disease.

Whatever you do don't mention the hydroxychloroquine treatment that seems to be effective against the coronavirus, it might bring up some recent faux pas on her part .

While the order still allows one

To engage in outdoor physical activity, consistent with remaining at least six feet from people from outside the individual’s household. Outdoor physical activity includes walking, hiking, running, cycling, kayaking, canoeing, or other similar physical activity, as well as any comparable activity for those with limited mobility.

it still does not allow golf, thus keeping about thousands unemployed in the golf industry and ridiculously still prohibiting those who like golf from wandering and walking about large areas of empty land chasing their ball while easily remaining six feet from another golfer. Again, I don't like golf, and don't play golf, so I'm not affected by this ban. But, this high-handed ban on those who do like to play it for outdoor recreation activity is just plain wrong, unfairly classist (the ol' it's rich people play golf trope) and counter to all evidence that it can be done safely and in conformance with CDC guidelines and is a good psychological outlet for people being cooped up. Let the golfers golf already.

Not a new restriction, but continuing to double-down on a stupid one she made up without any evidence as to any efficacy.

Nice to see her specifically add canoeing and kayaking after the Michigan State Police tried to outright ban boating.

Now on to the new and unhappy restrictions.

She also added a ban prohibiting movement between two residences a person may own in the state starting tomorrow. Likely this is to stop people from leaving hot spots like Detroit and Oakland county and heading up north where if infected they might overwhelm the medical system up there, but of course it doesn't say that and applies to the whole state. Now, this may indeed be a reasonable restriction as we don't want that spread around and to rural areas with hospitals that are not as well equipped. This would suck however if your in such a rural area now and want to head back to your main home with better medical facilities etc. How they might actually enforce this one is unclear, but I can guess.

But wait - there's a really cool exception: You can leave your residence in this state so long as you move to another residence you have in another state! Take that corona case off our hands, Buckeyes!

But wait, there's more and new and even more stupid restrictions.

After all, as the weather gets nicer people might want to spend their time at home to paint their decks, maybe some do-it-yourself home improvement projects, or perhaps plant a garden. Indeed people may need to start planting victory gardens to grow some food given how the economy is shut down hard.

Nope, you can't buy that stuff:

Close areas of the store—by cordoning them off, placing signs in aisles, posting prominent signs, removing goods from shelves, or other appropriate means—that are dedicated to the following classes of goods:
(A) Carpet or flooring.
(B) Furniture.
(C) Garden centers and plant nurseries.
(D) Paint.

Seriously this is just vindictive, stupid, and without any scientific basis in an attempt to get everyone to needlessly suffer so we can all have this "We're all in this together" feeling she wants.

People are now stuck at home, psychological ailments like depression and substance abuse are measurably increasing, and this half-whit wants to stop them from gardening and painting their houses while they have time and are twiddling their thumbs in isolation?

This is needlessly destructive both psychologically to people and destructive to businesses and the people who work for and own these businesses who depend on this kind of economic activity at this time of year.

Then she decides to trod all over the First Amendment and its limited yet significant protections of commercial speech:

By April 13, 2020, [stores are to] refrain from the advertising or promotion of goods that are not groceries, medical supplies, or items that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of residences.

Well, at least she isn't banning the sale of items she deems non-essential, at least not yet.

That she did not use this opportunity to allow for landscape services, golf, and many other activities that can be conducted safely in line with distancing guidelines to reopen speaks volumes about her priorities.

Governor Half-Whit Gets Some Things Right

One might even hope if she keeps this up that she'll be right half the time.

To be fair, while I've highlighted her many recent major screw-ups and lies, it's only fair I praise her when she makes good decisions.

Finally she has made some worthy of praise:

The Detroit News: Whitmer relaxes medical practice rules to provide help to fight virus

This is the right call to make. Letting doctors who are licensed in any US state practice here only makes sense, as does expanding what nurses, PAs and other medical professionals can do will only help.

Allowing drug manufacturers and wholesalers to ship from out of state right to the hospitals and distributors in Michigan rather than through some Michigan regulatory required intermediary, is also the right thing to do here. I will add this should have not even been an issue nor require emergency powers to fix in the first place and should not be reinstated after this emergency passes. Good call.

Next up, another good decision, yet again raising a question as to why this could not have been fixed before an emergency existed:

WXYZ7: Gov. Whitmer signs order allowing pharmacists to dispense emergency refills of prescriptions

Governor Whitmer signed an executive order Wednesday easing restrictions on pharmacists and increasing access to prescriptions for Michiganders.

Executive Order 2020-25 will allow pharmacists to dispense emergency refills of prescriptions for up to 60 days’ worth of supply for patients and require insurers to cover these emergency refills during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Again this is both the right call, and never should have been restricted in the first place.

Two right calls in a row governor. Keep it up and your TDS down and you may do all right.

The Administration's ITAR Baby

The latest Obama administration's assault against both the First and Second Amendments is coming out of the State Department.

As reported by the NRA-ILA, Old NFO, Sebastian, at the Michigan Gun Owners forum, and by lots of others in the blogosphere, the State Department is looking to expand and apply ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) to blog posts and other internet activity.

This is being done on the theory that posting about firearms and ammunition specifications where a foreigner could access it would constitute an export of technical information that would require the poster of the information to first get authorization from the government before posting it. You can puzzle your way through the very lengthy regulation (on the internet) at the Government Press Office.

In short this proposed regulation contains a serious prior restraint towards those that would comment about technical details regarding firearms and ammunition online with serious and severe penalties for non-compliance. Discussing how to repair or modify a firearm would count as technical data under the proposal.

Sebastian over at Shall Not Be Questioned has all the details on how you can make a public comment on this proposal, and you've got until August 3rd to do so. Keep the comments polite, keep them to the point, keep them substantive and serious, and get the comment in on time.

A Clash Of Democrat Interest Groups - NYC's Big Gulp Ban Slammed As Racist.

Its paternalistic government versus minority interest groups on the issue of regulating soft drink serving sizes.

I can see the headline now once this ban fully implemented: Soft drink sizes regulated, women and minorities hardest hit.

The Detroit News: Foes of New York City's soda size limit doubt racial fairness

The NAACP's New York state branch and the Hispanic Federation have joined beverage makers and sellers effort in trying to stop the rule from taking effect March 12. With a hearing set Wednesday, critics are attacking what they call an inconsistent and undemocratic regulation, while city officials and health experts defend it as a pioneering and proper move to fight obesity.

The issue is complex for the minority advocates, especially given obesity rates that are higher than average among blacks and Hispanics, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. The groups say in court papers they're concerned about the discrepancy, but the soda rule will unduly harm minority businesses and "freedom of choice in low-income communities."

The article helpfully notes that the regulation doesn't actually limit big gulp sizes as convenience stores are exempt from the ban, as are certain drinks themselves such as alcohol, juice, and milk based drinks. On the other hand, small restaurants, many run by minorities are going to be hit by the ban.

Ah the fun Democrats have when racial politics and maternalistic government collide...

But did the Fortune Tellers predict this regulation was coming?

The Detroit Free Press: Fortune telling in Warren to get harder

The city is on the verge of passing one of the nation's most stringent regulations for fortune-tellers by requiring licenses, fees, fingerprints, criminal background reports and employment histories for anyone who earns money forecasting the future.

If approved by the City Council on Tuesday, as expected, Warren will join a growing number of communities nationwide to crack down on fraudulent fortune-tellers who prey on the vulnerable. Anyone who violates the ordinance would face up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Of course its an interesting questions as to how you can tell the difference between a fraudulent fortune teller and a bona fide fortune teller.

"By registering them, we know who they are and where they are working, so hopefully it will discourage any non legitimate fortune-tellers from coming to the area," Councilman Keith Sudowski said. "We also need some enforcement in place to regulate this industry and prosecute anyone who preys on innocent people."

Can the councilman explain the difference between a legitimate fortune teller and an illegitimate one?  Can he also show how this new licensing regime will let you tell the two apart?

I can see a disclaimer being required that fortune telling is for novelty purposes only so that the gullible aren't sucked in but how can you tell a legitimate fake from an illegitimate fake in the?

What's next licenses for legitimate astrologers and phrenologists?

Maybe the Warren City counsel should, in addition to the fingerprinting a licensing fees, require these practitioners to have degrees in pseudoscience - that'll credentialize 'em and thus protect the people of Warren quite adequately.

I predict this licensing regime will fail to fulfill its goal of protecting the gullible of Warren, but I do predict it will raise some revenue for the city coffers.  Do I need a license for that?