Senate Republicans: End the state of emergency

Senate Democrats fail to take up Ortt’s resolution to end emergency declared by governor

New York State Senate Republican Leader Ortt on Tuesday “demanded” to know why the Senate Democratic Conference refused to take up his resolution to nullify Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Feb. 14 executive order declaring a “disaster” emergency in the state of New York.

Ortt’s team said, “The resolution would have put an end to Gov. Hochul’s statewide disaster declaration that was done unilaterally and without input from the Legislature. Today, Senate Democrats failed to either debate the resolution or put it to a vote.”

Ortt said, “Democrats are pulling out all the stops to hold onto power. This never-ending ‘state of emergency’ has left local governments, small businesses, and everyday New Yorkers frustrated and angry with state government. New Yorkers want to move forward, and we deserve to know why Senate Democrats refuse to even discuss the issue. Democrats’ refusal to take up our resolution to end the governor’s executive order exemplifies the problem: The Legislature is no longer a co-equal branch of government. My colleagues are in lockstep with the executive office exactly as they were during the Cuomo Administration.”

Ortt’s team added, “The Democrats’ refusal to take up the resolution this week follows a long history of the Senate Democrats blocking such efforts. Last year, Senate Republicans led the charge to repeal former Gov. Cuomo’s ‘emergency powers’ almost 50 times. Senate Democrats rejected those efforts every single time.

“Two weeks ago, Senate Democrats also blocked a Republican amendment to unmask children in schools and day cares. At the very same time, children remained masked in schools, while state Democrats held their annual convention maskless. 

“Earlier this week, Leader Ortt called the end of the mask mandate for children ‘a long overdue victory for kids and parents, educators, and common sense.’ He also reiterated that it is time to put his resolution up for a vote, end the unnecessary statewide emergency, and end all Albany mandates – so no governor can ever do this again.”

Ortt said, “The rank hypocrisy of Senate Democrats attending their recent political convention maskless while blocking efforts to unmask our kids was a disgrace. And now they refuse to even entertain debate about continuing a perpetual state of emergency that the people of this state do not want. History will judge this moment in our state’s history. The record will show that every single Republican in the State Senate stood for checks and balances and freedom, while every single Democrat in the State Senate shamefully looked the other way when parents, small business owners and local governments needed them to end this top-down government approach.”