A Michigan barber who reopened his shop in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus shutdown orders had his license temporarily stripped Wednesday.
Karl Manke, 77, became a symbol of resistance when he opened the doors of his Owosso shop on May 4 and refused to close, pledging to keep his doors open until police arrest him or “Jesus walks in.”
After a judge declined to sign an order to shut down his shop Monday without first holding a hearing, state regulators opted to suspend Manke’s barber and shop licenses.
“It is paramount that we take action to protect the public and do our part to help save lives,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
However, Manke’s attorney, Dave Kallman, told the Lansing State Journal that the state’s action against the 77-year-old barber is “an abuse of power.”
“I think it’s totally vindictive,” Kallman said. “It’s petty, it’s totally in retribution because they didn’t like the court order from earlier this week.”
Manke is still able to cut hair until the suspension is served; it had not reached the barber’s hands as of Wednesday afternoon, the paper reported. He can ask for an immediate hearing with an administrative law judge at the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to fight the order. – READ MORE
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