“Last year, when COVID-19 first threw our state into turmoil and so much was unknown and uncertain, an overwhelmingly bipartisan legislative majority granted the governor emergency powers to quickly deal with the sudden crisis. It is now time to get back to a normal working order.

With the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, and with the end of our state and national pandemic in sight, I join my colleagues to revoke the governor’s extraordinary powers granted to him at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Recent revelations and allegations have also demonstrated a need to revoke the governor’s emergency powers. The underreporting of nursing home deaths, and a directive to prevent families from visiting their loved ones for months, have had disastrous effects on the physical and emotional wellbeing of our most vulnerable senior citizens and their families. In addition, it has resulted in the loss of trust in our institutions at a time it’s needed the most.

While these emergency powers were set to expire in April, it is imperative we act now. This action, taken on the part of the legislature, will restore the balance of power and start to rebuild the trust in our institutions.

We are still facing many challenges: getting our families vaccinated, rebuilding our economy, getting our children back into the classroom, addressing the mental health crisis, and work on an end to institutional racism, I look forward to working hard to solve those issues.”