TODAY THE LEGISLATURE WILL REPORT FROM COMMITTEE A5967 TO RESCIND EMERGENCY POWERS GIVEN THE GOVERNOR LAST YEAR TO DEAL WITH THE COVID – 19 CRISIS.  EXISTING DIRECTIVES WOULD CONTINUE FOR 30 DAYS.  LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT HIS USE OF HIS BROAD AUTHORITY TO ACT ARBITRARILY ON MATTERS THAT IMPINGE ON RIGHTS OF ASSEMBLY, RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY, TRAVEL AND BUSINESS CLOSURES OFTEN RESULTED IN DECISIONS AT ODDS WITH EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DECISIONS BY OTHER STATES.  THE MANDATES IN HIS DECLARATIONS OF EMERGENCY CONTINUE UNDER NORMAL AUTHORITIES AVAILABLE UNDER EXISTING STATUTES.    YOU WILL RECEIVE AN ALERT WHEN THE BILL PASSES AND WHAT RESTRICTIONS REMAIN IN PLACE BEYOND THE 30 DAY PERIOD.
THE BILL READS IN PART:

Any directive previously issued pursuant to chapter 23 of the laws of 2020 in effect at the time of the repeal of such chapter shall be permitted to continue for 30 days from the effective date of this chapter notwithstanding the repeal of chapter 23 of the laws of 2020 and following the expiration of such 30 day period, any extensions or modifications of such directives shall be subject to the following provisions: 

In addition to the governor’s loss of some authority he may face legal problems from the Office of NYS Attorney General who issued a report several weeks ago showing a gross inconsistency in data on Covid related deaths that under reported the toll among the elderly in nursing homes.  This is nothing particularly new except for its source and size of the discrepancy uncovered in deaths at hospitals vs nursing homes.  For other reasons a feeding frenzy has broken out, common among sharks and the political class.