| Updated: 7:07 p.m.
Itâs full speed ahead for the bill to limit the governorâs emergency powers during a long-term event, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
SB195 moved forward in the Utah Senate on Monday unanimously and won final Senate approval Tuesday. The bill from Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, is a response to the continuous state of emergency the state has been under for almost a year in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
As previously reported, the bill would not impact the governorâs ability to respond to an emergency as it happens, but if the emergency declaration lasts beyond 30 days, then lawmakers could get involved. State and local health departments could do the same.
A bill making major changes to how Utah responds to public emergencies is being put on a fast track in the Utah Legislature. Gov. Spencer Cox says he hopes lawmakers are keeping the best interest of Utahns at heart.
| Updated: Feb. 17, 2021, 12:33 a.m.
Utah legislative leaders on Tuesday unveiled a new proposal to rein in the emergency powers of the governor and state and local health departments, saying the state’s current laws are not designed to grapple with long-term events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
SB195 from Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, would make a number of significant changes to how the state handles long-term emergencies, including limiting how long an emergency declaration remains in effect and granting authority to the Legislature to override those declarations.
Vickers argues the bill would set a more appropriate balance between the legislative branch, which creates policy, and the administrative branch, which is tasked with implementation.