LANSING, Mich., Feb. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan Chamber of Commerce today issued the following statement in response to Senate passage of House Concurrent Resolution 1 to disapprove Governor Whitmer's Executive Order 2019-2 eliminating three oversight panels that were created legislatively last year to improve the regulatory process at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

"The Michigan Chamber has been a strong advocate for legislation to improve the administrative rules process and permitting procedures at the DEQ," said Michigan Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley. "We applaud the Michigan Senate for exercising the Legislature's constitutional authority to disapprove the Governor's overreaching Executive Order."

"Today, 22 members of the State Senate reaffirmed the constitutional principle that the State of Michigan has three branches of government, separate and equal," added Studley.  

"Leadership matters, so we again commend State Representative Jim Lower (R-Cedar Lakes) for his effective leadership in sponsoring HCR 1, which was passed by House lawmakers last week," said Wendy Block, Vice President of Business Advocacy for the Michigan Chamber. "The lawmakers who voted for HCR 1 care about environmental quality and so does the Michigan Chamber."

"The Chamber is not opposed to reorganization of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for purposes of administrative efficiency," noted Studley. "However, we will continue to resist efforts to eliminate three necessary and important panels to provide oversight of the bureaucracy at the DEQ."

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is a statewide business organization representing approximately 6,000 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce who employ over one million Michigan residents. The Michigan Chamber represents businesses of every size and type in all 83 counties of the state. The Michigan Chamber was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan's job providers in the legislative, political and legal process.

SOURCE Michigan Chamber of Commerce