Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) announced that he voted for legislation to immediately repeal the expanded emergency powers that were granted to the governor at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (A.5967).

 “We’re not in the same place now as we were a year ago, which is why I’ve long been calling to scale back on the extraordinary powers granted to the governor at the start of this public health crisis,” Jones said. “This legislation will restore the balance of power that allows our government to run smoothly and ensure our communities have a greater say in the state’s response to this pandemic moving forward. As your voice in Albany, I’ll continue to put the health and well-being of North Country families at the forefront of my decision-making.”

Last March, the state Legislature granted the governor emergency powers in a bipartisan vote at a time when little was known about COVID-19 or how to prevent its spread. This legislation recognizes that while this crisis is ongoing, there has also been much progress in terms of information and vaccine rollouts since then and, therefore, the governor’s far-reaching powers are no longer necessary.

This bill helps move the state toward a system of increased oversight and transparency by repealing these expanded emergency powers, removing the executive’s ability to issue new directives and requiring the governor to justify the extension or modification of any existing directive every 30 days. Further, it allows the Legislature to repeal an executive order at any time with a simple majority vote as well as revoke a declaration of a state of emergency. Jones also noted that this bill was crafted between both houses of the Legislature and was not negotiated with the governor.

“While some of these facts have been clouded by misinformation, I want North Country residents to rest assured that this legislation serves its intended purpose and will allow us to responsibly return to a transparent, co-equal body of government,” Jones said.