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Tired Of Being Pinned Down: Michigan Bowling Alleys Sue Governor

(CBS DETROIT) - The Bowling Centers Association of Michigan is taking a strike at Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Members say their industry is suffering a huge loss after shutting down aisles back in march at the start of the pandemic.

"It's been tough. We're coming up on five months no revenue. As a business that's obviously really difficult. We've taken advantage of as many of the government programs as we can, but we're beyond now the P.P.P. (Paycheck Protection Program) deadline," said Michael Shearer, president of the Bowling Centers of Michigan and owner of Perfect Game.  

He's been keeping score of the governor's phases and recommendations and he says it's only fair to reopen bowling centers.

"Specifically, things like restaurants, which have been open at 50 percent capacity all across the state and now casinos. So, when the casinos were allowed to open as an industry. We looked around and said well a casino is no safer than a bowling alley," he said.

BCAM represents 165 bowling alleys across the state.

The association filed a lawsuit against the governor asking Whitmer to spare the details and put the industry back in the game.

"If we can't open on September one or sometime very shortly thereafter, it's going to be very difficult for a lot of our industry members to stay afloat; and that's another reason why we filed a lawsuit because for us now time is becoming very important," he said.

CW50 reached out to the governor's office for a statement about the lawsuit.
We were told it's not in their practice to comment on pending litigation.

"Bowling alleys tend to be bigger buildings so we can handle easily things like social distancing and keeping people apart and following the same rules that restaurants are following now and have been for a while and casinos," he said.

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