Bill Text: CA SCR93 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: State of emergency: COVID-19: termination.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 14-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-08-10 - From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. [SCR93 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SCR93-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Senate
August 10, 2020 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 93
| Introduced by Senator Melendez (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Kiley) (Coauthors: Senators Bates, Dahle, Grove, Jones, Moorlach, Morrell, Nielsen, and Wilk) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Megan Dahle, Gallagher, Obernolte, and Patterson) |
July 21, 2020 |
Relative to terminating the state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor on March 4, 2020.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 93, as amended, Melendez.
State of emergency: COVID-19: termination.
This measure, in accordance with specified law, would declare that the state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor on March 4, 2020, is at an end, thereby terminating the emergency powers granted to the Governor as a result of that proclamation.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee: YESBill Text
WHEREAS, On March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in California to mitigate the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, Since proclaiming a state of emergency on March 4, Governor Newsom has issued over 40 47 executive orders, unilaterally changing 200 laws spanning most divisions of the California codes; and
WHEREAS, Section 8629 of the Government Code, which is part of the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code), authorizes the State Legislature to terminate a state of emergency “by concurrent resolution of the Legislature declaring it at an end”; and
WHEREAS, A “state of emergency” in California is a legal term describing not merely conditions of extreme peril, but also the inadequacy of state and local institutions to combat the threat within the constraints of the California Constitution; and
WHEREAS, On May 17, 2020, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office released a report stating that they are “very troubled” by the authority the Governor seeks to take away from the Legislature in the May Revision, and stated that “we urge the Legislature to jealously guard its constitutional role and authority”; and
WHEREAS, The California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code) also provides local governments the ability to proclaim a local emergency in response to COVID-19, which authorizes the state to provide “mutual aid, including personnel, equipment, and other available resources, to assist political subdivisions during a local emergency or in accordance with mutual aid agreements or at the direction of the Governor”; and
WHEREAS, Nothing in this resolution prevents a local jurisdiction from proclaiming a local emergency to mitigate the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, An open-ended state of emergency, with boundless powers vested in a chief executive, is incompatible with democratic government; and
WHEREAS, It is critical that a proper balance be restored between the legislative and executive branches; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature, in accordance with Section 8629 of the Government Code, declares that the state of emergency proclaimed by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 4, 2020, is at an end and that the emergency powers granted to the Governor as a result of that proclamation are hereby terminated; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the Governor of California.
