For an unprecedented 5th time, the Connecticut Legislature voted to abdicate their responsibilities to the executive branch during a special session.
July 14 – Hartford, CT
On July 13th, Governor Lamont submitted his memorandum notifying Senator Looney, Representative Ritter, Senator Kelly and Representative Candelora his intention to renew the Public Health Emergency and Civil Preparedness Emergency.
“I write today to inform you, pursuant to Special Act No. 21-5, that I intend to renew through September 30, 2021 the declarations of public health and civil preparedness emergencies originally declared on March 10, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” – Governor Lamont in his memorandum of intent dated July 13, 2021.
H.R. No. 202 / Session Year 2021
The Connecticut General Assembly voted for the extension of the emergency declarations, which provides the ability for the Governor to request to extend his emergency powers through March 2022, and it is possible that the Governor will be operating under extraordinary powers during the November 2021 elections.
View the representtives who voted for extending emergency powers here. There were 22 representatives who did not vote on this vital issue.
Those who did not vote or were absent were:
View the state senators who voted for extending emergency powers (S.R. No. 52) here. There was one senator, Eric Berthel, who did not vote.
Substitute House Bill No. 5653 / Special Act No. 21-5
AN ACT CONCERNING DECLARATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND CIVIL PREPAREDNESS EMERGENCIES AND THE CREATION OF A BIPARTISAN COMMISSION TO STUDY STATUTES GOVERNING THE ISSUANCE OF SUCH DECLARATIONS.
“(Effective July 1, 2021) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 19a-131a and 28-9 of the general statutes, the Governor is hereby authorized to renew: (1) The public health and civil preparedness emergencies declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) any orders issued pursuant to the declarations and the renewal of such declarations that remain in effect as of July 20, 2021….”
(H.Reardon)