Kamala Harris visits Detroit; VP to talk voting rights, COVID-19 vaccine during Michigan visit

DETROIT - Michigan is getting its second executive branch visit in as many weeks Monday when Vice President Kamala Harris comes to town. She will be speaking in Detroit at the TCF Center.

Harris had originally planned on coming to Detroit in late June - however, severe flooding stymied that schedule and forced a cancelation. She's expected to speak at 3:25 p.m. alongside Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Congresswomen Brenda Lawrence and Rashida Tlaib. FOX 2 will stream the event live on FOX2Detroit.com and on social media. 

The VP discussed voting rights and the COVID-19 vaccine during her first visit to Michigan. Detroit, the centerpiece to election controversy from 2020 and vaccine hesitation, is a fitting place for Harris to make her pitch. 

Part of her "We Can Do This" tour, Harris's visit is timed with the Republican-led legislature's consideration of voting bills that have become a focal point of post-election discussion in state politics, both in Michigan and dozens of other states. 

While Whitmer, a Democrat, has promised a veto on the 39-bill package, GOP leaders have promised to circumvent her veto with a statewide ballot initiative to give the legislature direct consideration of the bills that won't require the governor's signature.

RELATED: Michigan GOP says photo ID requirement for absentee ballots is dead

Even as new vaccine rates continue faltering, President Joe Biden and Harris have announced a renewed push to get more of the country protected from COVID-19. Boosting vaccine rates is the best way to avoid further surges of new coronavirus infections, health officials say.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris

But getting residents vaccinated hasn't been an easy game. In Detroit especially, the vaccine rate is 38.34%, according to state data. That's well below the state average.