New York’s legislature is ending Cuomo’s emergency powers; Pennacchio says it’s Murphy’s turn

TRENTON, N.J. – It’s been reported that the Democrat-controlled New York legislature is ready to roll back Governor Andrew Cuomo’s emergency COVID-19 powers as early as Friday; here in New Jersey, where sexual harassment allegations and nursing home scandal plague the Murphy Administration, a leading GOP state senator says it’s time to curb Phil Murphy’s powers, too.

“The Emergency Health Powers Act is designed as a temporary tool to ensure government can respond quickly and efficiently in a crisis environment,” said Joe Pennacchio (R-26). “With repeated extensions of the declaration that give the governor inflated powers, Murphy has gone too far and abused the intent. It is time for New Jersey to return to governing as stipulated in the State Constitution. The role of the elected Legislature must be restored.”

“It is documented that New Jersey was following the leader, repeating too many of New York’s ill-conceived pandemic decisions, often with fatal consequences,” added Pennacchio who is also helping helm independent Republican hearings on Trenton’s nursing home response set to begin on March 5th. “In this instance, we should follow the leader one more time and at last do away with Murphy’s never ending emergency powers that give him free rein to make the rules and run the state without the consent of the Senate and Assembly.”

Pennacchio has previously sponsored legislation (SCR-117 and S-2482) to limit Murphy’s emergency orders to fourteen days, but opposition attempts to pass restrictions on the governor’s emergency authority have been repeatedly tabled by the Democrat majority.

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