Shelby Review

Six months after the Mackinac Center asked for documents about Michigan businesses suspect of violating COVID-19 orders, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs released what was requested through the state’s Freedom of Information Act.

On June 5, 2020, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy wanted copies of cease-and-desist letters that the department sent to businesses it said violated Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency executive order, the Mackinac Center said on its website. The organization also asked for copies of complaints about businesses that allegedly violated the same orders. Restaurants suspected of exceeding capacity limits, roofers not wearing masks and people using golf carts when they were prohibited were among the complaints.

“Michigan's public records law exists so people can see what their government is doing and hold them accountable. But what good is the law if the government can withhold information for as long as they want?” Jarrett Skorup, director of marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center, said on the website. “We’re pleased that the department has finally released the information, but it shouldn’t require waiting six months and filing a lawsuit to get public records from government officials.”

The $1,373 costs estimated by the state were paid on July 7. The department cited a need to review voluminous records and the broad scope of the request as causes for the delay. After the Mackinac Center filed its lawsuit, the department released the records.