Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said at a press conference Monday that she and senior members of her staff would take a pay cut as the state tightens its budget during the coronavirus outbreak.
Whitmer told reporters that she would take a pay cut of 10 percent for the duration of the pandemic, while senior members of her staff would take a 5 percent pay reduction.
“I’m going to lead by example,” she said. “I know that times are tough and that we as a state are going to be confronting a tough budget as a result of the economic shutdown.”
Whitmer’s salary in 2019 sat at just above $159,000, according to Business Insider. Her actions come as she has clashed with protesters in her state in recent days over the extent and duration of her stay-at-home order, which some conservatives have called to end in favor of opening up non-essential businesses.
Michigan has confirmed more than 32,000 cases of coronavirus and nearly 2,400 deaths. The state registered 576 new cases of the virus on Monday, a rate that appears to be slowing after reaching a peak in early April.
Whitmer has said that she plans to say more about efforts to reopen the state’s economy this week.
“I am hopeful that come May 1, we will make some steps forward,” she said last week.
