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Lawmakers seek long-term limit on governors' emergency power

Virus Outbreak Governors
Posted at 4:37 PM, Apr 10, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-10 19:37:44-04

State lawmakers across the U.S. are taking actions to limit the emergency powers of governors — not just in the current coronavirus pandemic, but for any future emergencies.

The pushback is coming primarily from Republican lawmakers but is not entirely partisan.

GOP lawmakers are targeting both Democratic and Republican governors.

And some Democratic lawmakers also have sought to limit the powers of governors in their own party.

Lawmakers say some states have been operating under emergency laws that date back decades and didn't envision a crisis that stretched for more than a year.