Bill introduced to end Governor Polis’ authority under COVID-19 declaration of emergency



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DENVER (KRDO) – One of many bills tabled in the Colorado General Assembly special session on Monday to address relief from the coronavirus actually targets action taken by Governor Jared Polis without the legislature, as several Republicans are seeking to strip the governor of his authority granted under the state’s current declaration of emergency emergency.

The bill, SJR20B-001, was introduced by State Senator Rob Woodward (R) and State Representative Rod Bockenfield (R), and it seeks to end the authority given to Polis under Decree D 2020 003, which was issued on March 11 and established a state of disaster emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill describes the thoughts of lawmakers on executive overbreadth, pointing to at least “224 additional executive orders” that “had far-reaching effects on the people of Colorado,” including maintenance orders. house came into effect earlier this year. and various restrictions that have reduced the capacity of state enterprises.

The more than $ 1.6 billion Colorado received from the federal government under the CARES Act is also at issue. Lawmakers say that because Governor Polis’s office disbursed the money and also suspended state statutes for collecting taxes, it “wielded legislative power and the power to appropriate the money that is historically reserved for the General Assembly “.

Several other points of contention are raised throughout the rest of the bill, including the state’s unemployment rate, decrees to suspend in-person teaching in schools, and concerns about the state budget.

Representatives write they have no intention of downplaying “the health and economic crises facing Colorado,” but added that “it is time for the legislature to resume its role.”

With a Democratic majority in both houses of the assembly, however, the bill faces an uphill battle.

We have contacted the Governor’s Office for comment and will update this article when more information becomes available.

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