In April 2020, Whitmer issued an executive order that prevented most stores from selling gardening supplies, including seeds and plants, to individuals who wanted to grow their fruits and vegetables.
During an interview with CNN's Chris Wallace on March 12, Whitmer acknowledged that some of the state's stringent lockdown policies were not practical in retrospect. "There were moments where, you know, we had to make some decisions that in retrospect don't make a lot of sense, right? If you went to the hardware store, you could go to the hardware store, but we didn't want people to be congregating around the garden supplies," she said.
March 14, 2023
Whitmer clarified that the widely circulated rumor that she had banned seeds was inaccurate since it was February in Michigan, and nobody was planting anything then. However, she conceded that some of the measures imposed by her administration were more stringent than necessary.
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Whitmer's office published a list on the state's website on April 9, 2020, which contained items that Michigan officials considered "not necessary to sustain or protect life." The state then banned the sale of these items during the pandemic's height, including gardening items, carpet or flooring materials, furniture, and paint.
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However, the order was rescinded a few weeks after widespread criticism from organizations such as the Institute for Justice. In a letter, the nonprofit law firm criticized the governor's "unconstitutional prohibition" for "impeding the rights of the many Michigan families who seek to grow their food."
Whitmer's sweeping order also included a travel ban between residences, including vacation properties, rental properties, or second homes within Michigan.
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