State lawmakers are pushing to curb governors' virus powers
Irritated by the sweeping use of executive orders during the COVID-19 crisis, state lawmakers around the U.S. are moving to curb the authority of governors and top health officials to impose emergency restrictions such as mask rules and business shutdowns.
The push is underway in such states as Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania, where legislators are seeking a constitutional amendment to strip the governor of many of his emergency powers.
Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Wayne Langerholc said the amendment would “make it unequivocally clear that our General Assembly is a co-equal branch ... that we are not a monarchy and that our voices matter.”
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and some of his counterparts around the country have argued that they need authority to act quickly and decisively against the fast-changing threat.
The coronavirus has killed an estimated 430,000 Americans and is going through its most lethal phase yet, despite the rollout of vaccines, with new and more contagious variants from abroad turning up in the U.S.
https://apnews.com/article/state-lawmakers-governor-coronavirus-7d5710f2d8aa4e659c0ec68400ad3d3c
COVIDIOTs
= new reply since forum marked as read
GOP move to kill emergency order would cut food stamp funds
A plan by some members of the North Dakota Legislature to terminate a pandemic-related emergency declaration could discontinue food assistance to the state’s neediest residents.
North Dakota and other states that have emergency orders in place have been getting additional money for food stamps under a package passed by Congress.
If lawmakers end the emergency declaration, North Dakota would lose $2.8 million monthly for food stamp allocations to nearly 15,425 households.
The resolution is sponsored by GOP Rep. Rick Becker.
He says the intent for the resolution isn’t to cut off funding to anyone, but to end a “perpetual” state of emergency ....
***************
They'll gladly sacrifice the most vulnerable.
