Proposed law requires governor to meet with emergency panel
With the declared emergency now a full year old, state lawmakers are moving to force Gov. Doug Ducey to finally use the existing Statewide Emergency Council that was specifically created to advise him and monitor his activities.
SB1719 spells out that Ducey and any future chief executive must convene the council within 14 days of declaration. Then the governor has to convene the council at least once every 14 days thereafter during the emergency.
And if the governor does not, then the state of emergency is automatically terminated.
The measure, which already cleared the Senate on a unanimous vote, gained the approval of the House Committee on Government and Elections on Wednesday on a 9-4 margin. It now goes to the full House.
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX With the declared emergency now a full year old, state lawmakers are moving to force Gov. Doug Ducey to finally use the existing Statewide Emergency Council that was specifically created to advise him and monitor his activities.
SB 1719 spells out that Ducey and any future chief executive must convene the council within 14 days of declaration. Then the governor has to convene the council at least once every 14 days thereafter during the emergency.
And if the governor does not, then the state of emergency is automatically terminated.
The measure, which already cleared the Senate on a unanimous vote, gained the approval of the House Committee on Government and Elections on Wednesday on a 9-4 margin. It now goes to the full House.
On March 11, 2020, Gov. Doug Ducey issued his first emergency declaration. However, in that time Ducey only convened the State Emergency Council once.SB 1719 unanimously passed in the Arizona Senate would force Ducey and future governors to convene the council within 14 days of an emergency declaration. Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios calls the measure “a simple,