In the wake of COVID-19, Utah existed in a state of emergency for the majority of 2020. Now, state lawmakers are seeking changes to Utah’s balance of executive powers in case of future pandemics.
Even before the legislative session began, Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson worked with lawmakers to address amending state provisions regarding public health and emergency powers, and according to Sen. Chris Wilson, R-Logan, Senate Bill 195 has bipartisan support.
“It’s the first time in our state’s history that we’ve had this kind of situation,” Wilson said, “But the bottom line is this amendment will limit the extensive executive emergency powers during those long-term emergencies, without hindering the rapid response we need.” Read the rest of the story on HJnews.com.
This story is made possible thanks to a community reporting partnership between The Herald Journal abd Utah Public Radio.
