Their legislative plans include:
COVID response and vaccine distribution
Shah said the responsibility to act on PPE shortages falls on the governor’s office, not the legislature. The executive has the power to act immediately but the legislature would take a lot longer to bring a bill forward.
He remains positive about potential vaccines being approved but noted it will take some time before the general public can access them at least six months. The distribution process will be key, he said.
Equity is also important to consider when administering vaccines, Shah said.
“They [the vaccines] have to be distributed across our population in an equitable way because we want to make sure every group has an opportunity to get vaccinated, specifically looking at the most vulnerable people, to save as many lives as possible,” he said.