MICHIGAN – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday announced programs aimed at assisting the state\u2019s restaurants and bars as well as families facing evictions.<\/p>\n
The announcement came as the governor is facing mounting criticism over her administration\u2019s penalizing businesses alleged to have violated epidemic orders imposed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n
Among the governor\u2019s initiatives to support restaurants and small businesses are a reboot of the liquor buyback program instituted previously this year. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission\u2019s previous buyback effort put an average $5,000 back in the pockets of restaurant and bar owners. All told, the MLCC spent $3.4 million on buying back spirits from 673 establishments.<\/p>\n
Those establishments were ordered closed by MDHHS in mid-November, and the initial order was extended past its original Dec. 20 deadline to Jan. 15, 2021. Several Michigan businesses have garnered headlines after the Michigan Liquor Control Commission suspended licenses of bars and restaurants for violating the MDHHS orders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are thankful for these programs because any kind of assistance helps our struggling industry,\u201d said\u00a0Scott Ellis, executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
In a phone conversation with The Center Square, Ellis elaborated that his organization\u2019s ultimate goal is to open businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re thankful it\u2019s something,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd something is better than nothing. But, at the end of the day, our members need to open in order to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael Reitz is executive vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. \u201cThe spirits buyback program is small consolation for owners who fear shutting down a restaurant for good,\u201d he told The Center Square in an email.<\/p>\n
The MCPP\u00a0reported\u00a0\u00a0on Tuesday that two undercover MLCC investigators had suspended the liquor license of a Macomb County establishment for serving cocktails to six unmasked patrons.<\/p>\n
ABC 12\u00a0reported\u00a0the MLCC has suspended the licenses of 26 businesses alleged to have violated the MDHHS epidemic orders since September.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing the governor can do for local restaurants is to allow them to operate using the safety protocols in place before the state shut down restaurant dining,\u201d Reitz said.<\/p>\n
Reitz noted a recent New York Times\u00a0article\u00a0that pointed out that \u201ccapacity limits in restaurants can effectively reduce infections without the devastating consequences that Gov. Whitmer\u2019s shutdown is creating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, Whitmer announced the state will partner with restaurants to allow U.S. Department of Agriculture-administered Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for prepared meals. The Restaurant Meal Program will allow restaurants to accept SNAP benefits to purchase restaurant meals.<\/p>\n
She also announced she was allotting another $2 million to the state\u2019s Eviction Diversion Program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese\u00a0actions\u00a0will ensure that families\u00a0have\u00a0the support they\u00a0need to put food on the table and keep a roof over their\u00a0heads this winter, as well as provide support to\u00a0local\u00a0restaurants\u00a0and small business owners\u00a0all over the state that are struggling as a result of the pandemic,\u201d Whitmer said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The governor made the announcement one day after the U.S. Congress passed a nearly $900 billion COVID-19 relief package and the Michigan House greenlit another $465 million in relief for state businesses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MICHIGAN – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday announced programs aimed at assisting the state\u2019s restaurants and bars as…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n