Senate makes another try to trim governor's emergency powers

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Lawmakers on Wednesday initiated another shot at trimming an Idaho governor’s power during an emergency event that threatens residents’ lives such as the coronavirus pandemic.

The Senate State Affairs Committee voted to hold a hearing on the bill that is a reworked version of previous legislation involving emergency declarations that has either been killed or stalled.

The new legislation allows the governor to declare a “state of extreme peril” and extend it past 60 days but only to ensure federal funding continues. The proposed law would require any restrictions accompanying a governor’s order to expire after 60 days unless renewed by the Legislature.

Lawmakers are angry with actions taken by Republican Gov. Brad Little to slow the coronavirus, which included a temporary lockdown starting in March when the virus overwhelmed some hospitals with patients and threatened to do so at others. Hospital workers were also getting sick and said they were in danger of running out of protective equipment.

But lawmakers bristled at the pandemic rules, especially the lockdown and the designation of some people as “nonessential” workers.

Some of the previous legislation faced criticism it could cost the state $20 million in federal aid in coronavirus help by ending the state of emergency.