Five recreational facilities in Michigan are suing Governor Gretchen Whitmer for damages caused by coronavirus pandemic-related lockdowns, MLive reports.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and their director, Robert Gordon, are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, which is being launched in a federal court, was announced by attorney David Kallman at a press conference at a bowling alley in Lansing, the state's capital. Kallman has a successful record defending businesses which have been harmed by lockdown measures.
The lawsuit does not specify how much in damages the businesses are seeking, but Kallman has said it was well over a million dollars.
Roller rinks and bowling alleys in Michigan were forced to close at the beginning of the pandemic and then again in November. They have been reopened since Dec 21, however. Michigan currently maintains a partial shutdown, with restaurants being among the only businesses which are still forced to remain closed.
The businesses are not directly challenging the legality of lockdowns as a public health measure, but rather seek to demand damages for businesses harmed by them which, according to Kallman, would cause governments to reconsider their efficacy.
The lawsuit alleges that lockdowns "sacrifice all economically beneficial uses of their property in the name of the common good," with Kallman specifically comparing the practice to eminent domain. In an eminent domain case, property owners deprived of their assets for common good must be fully compensated for their losses.
Governor Whitmer has faced staunch opposition within her state for her government's strict coronavirus lockdown measures, with Republicans in the state legislature seeking to impeach Whitmer for her actions since the pandemic started. Restrictions in Michigan have not been as strict as has been seen in states such as California, however.
Whitmer has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
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