NASHVILLE – Legislative Republicans want to place new restrictions on Tennessee governors’ ability to extend emergency orders to address the COVID-19 pandemic as well as future health crises, saying extensions should require the General Assembly’s specific approval.
But first, the Republican-led House and Senate will need to resolve differences in their respective approaches that surfaced Tuesday in the final meeting of their “Ad Hoc Committee to Study Emergency Powers.”
GOP representatives and senators insist their effort isn’t aimed at fellow Republican Gov. Bill Lee. The governor has issued and extended a series of executive orders, some of them controversial, to address the COVID-19 pandemic since the first known coronavirus case appeared here last March.
“I believe the governor has provided measured, steady leadership through this pandemic,” said Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, in response to a Democratic lawmaker’s questions as to whether Zachary and GOP colleagues believe there has been “overreach” by Lee.
One of the recommendations seemingly agreed to by both House and Senate Republican panel members – minority Democrats opposed the entire plan, with Rep. Johnny Shaw of Bolivar questioning whether GOP colleagues were seeking to “micro-manage” a pandemic – is that no law goes into effect “until after [the] current administration leaves” in January 2022.