the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, the Public Health Emergency in New Jersey was initially declared on March 9, 2020 through Executive Order No. 103. Today, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 240, which extends that Public Health Emergency for another 30-day period, ending in mid-June. Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, a declared public health emergency expires after 30 days unless renewed. If legislation is finalized ahead of the renewal date, the Public Health Emergency extended today will be allowed to expire.
On Tuesday, voters in Pennsylvania will be the first in the nation to vote on whether the emergency powers of the governor should be limited.
On the ballot will be twin constitutional amendments giving the state’s legislature more power over emergency declarations. Bipartisan majorities of both houses of the legislature voted to end Democratic Governor Tom Wolf’s orders to shut businesses, wear masks outdoors, and close schools. But his veto of any limits on his powers was sustained, prompting the move to put the issue before voters.
Limiting just how much one governor can impose rules in an emergency is a hot topic. In at least a dozen states, state legislators have asserted their own power to review, halt, or reverse executive actions.
It’s not a partisan issue. Some states that have imposed limits are GOP-controlled (Arkansas), some are Democratic (New York) and some have divided rule (Michigan, Kentucky, and Kansas).
Here’s hoping Pennsylvanians rein in the unilateral powers of the governor – and unelected bureaucrats.
yay!
Love it…these guys need a comeuppance.
I saw today where Andrew Giuliani is going to run against Andrew Cuomo.