Half a loaf at best
In a largely symbolic move, the state senate in New York last night voted to repeal the emergency powers they granted to Governor Andrew Cuomo last year to respond to the pandemic. The Assembly is expected to take up the measure today. The real impact of this proposal will be basically next to nothing, as we’ll get to in a moment. Oddly enough, the measure was driven almost entirely by Democrats, who hold supermajorities in both chambers. Republicans panned the legislation, saying that it was too little, too late, and pushing for stronger measures such as impeachment. (NY Post) New York state lawmakers moved Friday to rescind the emergency powers they granted to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to handle the coronavirus pandemic as outrage over his sexual harassment and nursing home coverup scandals continues to mount. The New York state Senate backed the new restrictions on Cuomo’s executive authority by a 43-20 vote on Friday afternoon. The state Assembly is scheduled to take up the measure later today and is widely expected to follow suit. Both chambers are dominated by Democrats. The measure would then be signed by Cuomo. The problem with this legislation, as noted by the Republicans who voted against it, is that all it really does is prevent Cuomo from issuing any new executive orders related to the pandemic unless the legislature signs off on them.
