Lawmaker’s effort to end governor’s statewide COVID emergency defeated
A Riverside County lawmaker's attempt to end the COVID-based state of emergency declared by Gov. Gavin Newsom two years ago was defeated today in a party-line state Senate committee vote.
Sen. Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, endeavored on previous occasions to secure hearings regarding the governor's ongoing use of emergency powers. She said Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, last month finally agreed to calendar her latest measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 5.
It was heard by the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization, whose four Republican members voted in favor of the proposal, and whose eight Democrat members voted against it, killing the resolution.
"I'm extremely disappointed my colleagues in the majority party lacked the courage to stand up to their governor and bring this state of emergency to an end," Melendez said. "California has been under a state of emergency for more than 700 days. During that time, local governments have been responding and mitigating the spread of COVID based upon their local knowledge and infection rates."
"It's time for the state to allow local governments to take the lead and address emergencies locally without the shotgun approach of a statewide emergency," she continued. "Twenty-nine other states have ended their states of emergency. Once again, California is leading from behind."
Regrettably, my SCR 5 to end the State of Emergency failed to pass today. The democrat majority is content to abdicate their responsibilities to the governor.
— Senator Melissa Melendez (@senatormelendez) March 15, 2022
The state of emergency will continue, as will the governor’s power to close schools and shut down businesses.
On the advice of state Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, Gov. Gavin Newsom switched gears last month and adopted an "endemic" plan, under which he has rolled back some of the 70 executive orders issued since he declared the statewide emergency on March 4, 2020.
According to a Senate analysis of SCR-5, most of the emergency provisions will be terminated by March 31. However, some will not sunset until June 30, while 30 acts are slated to remain in place without a future cutoff date, meaning the emergency declaration does not have a set timetable.
According to the California Emergency Services Act -- Chapter 7 of the Government Code -- a governor is required to proclaim that a state of emergency is over "at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant."