PROVIDENCE – As COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward, key Rhode Island House and Senate committees voted on Tuesday in favor of extending Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s public health emergency order through March 31.
The current public health emergency order, mandating mask wearing in schools and protecting health care facilities from litigation, will expire on Feb. 14 as party of a 180-day time limit. The order was supposed to be extended from Feb. 14 through April 14, but lawmakers reached consensus on a compromise.
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi introduced legislation on Jan. 28 calling for the March 31 end date for the emergency order that was issued on Aug. 19, 2021. The legislation noted that a “Declaration of Disaster Emergency for New COVID-19 Variants shall expire” at that time.
Tuesday’s votes supporting the 45-day extension were tallied in both House and Senate committees. The House Committee on State Government and Elections voted 11-5, and the Senate Committee on Special Legislation voted 8-4.
Voting nay on the extension in the House Committee on State Government were Reps. Evan P. Shanley, D-Warwick, committee chairman; Arthur J. Corvese, D-North Providence; Blake A. Filippi, R-New Shoreham; Brian Newberry, R-North Smithfield; and George A. Nardone, R-Coventry.
Of the legislation, Filippi said, “We sacrifice for our children. Not the other way around.”
Rep. Jaquelyn Baginski, D-Cranston, who sits on the House Committee on State Government, said she supports the governor’s emergency powers through March 31 as a reasonable, measured way to return to normalcy.
“The governor can terminate any of his executive orders, which encompass more than masks and vaccines, at any time,” she said. “He announced today that the mask mandate for indoor public places will be lifted as of Friday, and the mask mandate in schools will end on March 4. I’m as ready as anyone to enter post-pandemic life, and this extension of limited powers feels like a responsible way to do it.”
In the Senate Committee on Special Legislation, nays were cast by Sens. Leonidas P. Raptakis, D-Coventry; Jessica de la Cruz, R-Burrillville; Dennis L. Algiere, R-Westerly; and Elaine J. Morgan, R-Charlestown.
The emergency powers issued under executive order allow the governor to decide on suspending state laws and regulatory authority without the approvals of the legislature.
Passage of the legislation would give the governor power to continue extending masking requirements and remote meetings, among other decisions.
The legislation passed by the House and Senate committees now goes before the full House and Senate for a vote in the General Assembly on Thursday.
Most Democrats seem in favor of the extension, while Republican legislators have been in favor of extinguishing the governor’s emergency powers.
R.I. House Republicans intend to submit an amendment to the Joint Resolution on Emergency Powers that seeks to end the school mask mandate on Feb. 14.
The GOP House Minority Caucus issued a statement Tuesday about the school mask mandate, noting that testimony last week from parents, students and teachers confirmed the negative impacts that masks have on Rhode Island’s children.
“Study after study proves that masks have little impact on COVID spread, while hurting the social and academic development of our children,” according to the statement. “Instead of recognizing the fact that school masking does not make sense, it appears that many of our leaders are intent to continue this harmful policy rather than admit they were wrong all along. Our amendment will demonstrate which representatives and senators elevate politics over our children’s health.”
(UPDATE: Recasts lede, with updates throughout, including tightening and adding comment from Rep. Jacquelyn Baginski.)
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Shuman@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @CassiusShuman.
