UNITED STATES—Stay-at-home orders have led to state officials to be sued by residents who feel it is not legal or fair. After the spread of the coronavirus in March, many states issued to stay-at-home orders to reduce the risk of the virus spreading and to keep the public safe. Some residents and state officials believe that these measures, many placed by Democratic leaders, have gone on too long.
The state of California is facing over a dozen lawsuits that include claims that the state has unjustly closed down gun shops and religious services, infringed on freedoms of speech and assembly by restricting protests. In one claim, a resident alleges that being forced to remain at home constitutes forced detention without due process.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is being sued by Republicans in the state’s House of Representatives and Senate over her extension of an already-strict emergency order that has regulated residents’ movement and closed businesses. The GOP lawsuit claims that Whitmer overstepped her authority by extending her previous shutdown order, saying she is required to obtain the legislature’s approval to extend it beyond 28 days.
In another case, a Wisconsin state Supreme Court struck down the state’s safer-at-home measure, saying the administration of Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, overstepped its authority when it extended the order through the end of May. The ruling stated that any future orders must be approved by the state’s legislature.
Kentucky protesters sued officials including Governor Andy Beshear, also a Democrat, for allegedly violating the First Amendment by banning mass protests. A separate lawsuit blocked one of the governor’s moves on banning in-person church services.
While in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton is threatening suit against the cities of Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas for not dialing back on measures relating to COVID-19 that are considered more restrictive than state-issued measures.
