For Star subscribers: Arizona lawmakers are close to sending a constitutional amendment to voters requiring Legislative approval for any emergency declaration. Critics say it could affect millions of dollars in federal funding.
Bob Christie Capitol Media Services PHOENIX — It's a simple proposal for Republican lawmakers: Rein in the powers of the Arizona governor to declare emergencies and keep them open so the executive can oversee recovery operations without legislative oversight.
Any health emergency declared by new Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is now limited to 120 days. After that, the Legislature would need to approve an extension every 30 days. Democrats call the proposal a recipe for political skullduggery to be injected into declarations that are best handled by the executive branch. They worried at a state Senate hearing on the voter referral this past week that injecting partisan politics into the process that maintains declarations for decades-old items — like the statewide drought declaration that has been in force since 1999 — could hamstring the system.
Whether the law covers all open state disasters or just those currently happening in the so-called"incident period," like the drought and border crisis, is open to some interpretation. "It is our job as Legislature to have a say and have a voice on behalf of our constituency when it comes to these things, regardless of who that governor is," Hoffman said."That's why I like this measure."
Federal funding for disasters is linked to a state emergency declaration. And more to the point, they must be maintained for funding to continue to flow, according to DEMA.
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