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State GOP support bill to end Cuomo’s executive powers

Andrew Cuomo

New York’s Republicans are trying to get state Democrats to take action to strip Gov. Andrew Cuomo of his emergency powers.

Republicans in the Senate and Assembly plan to introduce hostile amendments on the Senate and Assembly floor to end Cuomo’s emergency authority. Republicans have said the reasons initially given for the emergency powers are no longer needed.

Sen. Rob Ortt, R-Lockport, said Republicans in the Senate and Assembly plan to introduce legislation crafted by state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, D-Bronx, in order to force a vote on Cuomo’s emergency powers.

Cuomo’s executive powers are to expire April 30. The state Legislature approved legislation last March that gave Cuomo the power to suspend laws and create new laws and directives.

“Just last week 14 members of the Senate Democratic majority, and also in the Assembly majority as well, 14 Senators in the Democratic majority said they would support the immediate rescinding of the governor’s emergency power,” Ortt said during a news conference Monday in Albany. “Fourteen plus 20 (Republicans) is 34, which is two more than it takes to pass something in the state Senate. We have votes to spare … Today we’re going to find out how serious they are.”

Since last May, the Senate Republican Conference has advanced the amendment to revoke the Governor’s emergency powers 14 times — including 12 times this year alone. The effort was blocked by Senate Democrats every single time. Only in the last few weeks have reports begun to surface that Senate Democrats were considering curtailing the Governor’s pandemic decision-making authority. And even still now, Democrats are dragging their feet.

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