New York Democrat State Senators Issue Statement Calling For Cuomo’s Emergency Powers To Be Stripped
February 12, 2021 | By Ryan Saavedra | DailyWire | Source
“More than a dozen Democrat state senators in New York issued a statement on Friday calling for Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo’s pandemic emergency powers to be stripped following a bombshell story that broke last night that featured allegations that his administration admitted to covering up the true extent of deaths that occurred in the state’s nursing homes.
“Today, February 12, 2021 , New York State Senators Alessandra Biaggi, Jabari Brisport, Samra Brouk, Jeremy Cooney, Andrew Gounardes, Robert Jackson, John C. Liu, John Mannion, Rachel May, Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, Gustavo Rivera, Julia Salazar, James Sanders, and James Skoufis issued a joint statement calling for a repeal of the Governor’s authority to issue unilateral directives,” the statement said. “On March 3rd, 2020, legislation was passed to significantly expand the Governor’s executive powers under an emergency declaration, including giving him the ability to issue directives, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Without exception, the New York State Constitution calls for the Legislature to govern as a co-equal branch of government,” the senators said. “While COVID-19 has tested the limits of our people and state – and, early during the pandemic, required the government to restructure decision making to render rapid, necessary public health judgments – it is clear that the expanded emergency powers granted to the Governor are no longer appropriate. While the executive’s authority to issue directives is due to expire on April 30, we urge the Senate to advance and adopt a repeal as expeditiously as possible.””