Senator Christopher Connors, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove said Governor Murphy has refused to give up his emergency powers after the Legislative Leadership decided against scheduling a vote on legislation (SCR-165/ACR-223) that would have extended certain emergency orders and directives.

Connors, Rumpf, and Gove said Governor Murphy has refused to give up his emergency powers after the Legislative Leadership decided against scheduling a vote on legislation that would have extended certain emergency orders and directives. (Pixabay)

The 9th District legislative delegation issued the following statement:

“Many of our constituents are incensed by the Governor’s heavy-handed use of emergency and executive powers. We agree and, consistent with the views of our constituents, our delegation wants a new direction for our state that promptly and effectively ends the failed policies of the past.

“In response, our delegation has not only voted against extending the Governor’s executive and emergency powers, but we have cosponsored legislation that would limit the effective period of most emergency orders, rules, or regulations to 14 days.

“Residents’ best interests are certainly not best served when Trenton is given a free hand to make unilateral decisions without giving due consideration to the repeated objections of the substantial number of residents and small businesses that are negatively impacted.

“Adding to constituents’ discontentment was that this legislation was posted for the last day of the legislative session and presented the unwelcomed prospect that Governor Murphy’s hand would be strengthened by the Legislative Branch to have more control over people’s lives and our state’s economy.

“Not surprisingly, Governor Murphy has decided to circumvent the Legislature and unilaterally extend his emergency powers by declaring a new Public Health Emergency. This tone-deaf action ignores the substantial and intense opposition to which these far-reaching decisions are made in a manner that disrespects and disenfranchises a large segment of the state’s population and the elected officials who want to act in service to their constituents.

“Like many of our constituents and fellow elected officials, we remain committed to limiting the power, size, scope, and cost of the Trenton bureaucracy, beginning at the top.”