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Bill limiting governor’s powers dies in committee
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Senators tabled a bill that would put more power in the hands of legislators in when it comes to emergency declarations and public health orders on a 5-4 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday. The bill, SB 65, was more than about limiting executive branch powers and more about giving some power back to the legislature. “The bill allows, essentially, a review of a public health order under certain conditions,” bill co-sponsor Sen. Gregory Baca, R-Belen, said. “It allows for 90 days for a health order to stay in effect as issued by the executive and upon the expiration of 90 days, it would either have to be reviewed by the legislative body– if we’re in session, we would simply do a majority or or majority vote on the health order– otherwise, it would be given to (legislative) council, where it would be reviewed by a portion of our members and it would be voted on at that point.”
The committee seemed to agree that the legislature should find a way to get some of their powers back but not the way SB 65 proposes. “We have very equal branches of government here and we are by far the weakest and so anytime, in general.