Michigan restaurants sue Gov. Whitmer to halt closures

A trade group composed of Michigan restauranteurs is making a last-ditch effort to stop Governor Gretchen Whitmer's new lockdown measures,  which are due to take effect at midnight on Saturday.

The lawsuit is being brought by Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, who said it had made "several good faith efforts" to negotiate with the government, but were met with a stone wall.

The lawsuit mentions that "It is legal to get a tattoo or haircut but not eat a meal indoors at a restaurant," under the new rules. It goes on to claim that the restaurant ban specifically violates the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution, and rights to due process.

According to the Associated Press, the new severe lockdown rules (which take effect only hours after the time of this writing), are slated to last for three weeks. However, the last ban was also supposed to be shorter and wound up in effect for three whole months, which is the object of concern for many.

The new ban further proposes to shutter bars, high schools, and all post-secondary educational institutions, as well as casinos, bowling alleys and theatres. Gyms will still be allowed to open, but group classes will be halted.

"The sooner Michiganders put a pause on indoor social gatherings, the more lives we will save, and the sooner we will be able to resume our normal social lives, including eating out, without fear," commented Robert Gordon, the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association claims that there are ways to reduce the risk to acceptable levels while still being able to stay open, and potentially avoid going out of business altogether.