If you are a #StateLegislator or #Governor, now is the time to start planning for how you will make decisions over the next few months - especially since, as a whole, you tend to be on the old side.
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We risk the normalization of authoritarian actions by the executives, the mayors, the governors, the health authority directors if legislators do not authorize their actions and appropriate funds in advance.
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An example is what just happened in Ohio. Gov. DeWine sensibly wanted to postpone the election but rather than follow the law and convene a special session to get the legislature to do that, he tried to do it through the courts. When that failed, he defied Court via health dept
Even though it was commonsensical, he defied the Court, violated the state constitution, and assumed power he did not have. This is an example of disaster authoritarianism.
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But you can plan ahead and convene now. Things you should do is decide whether you can set up a system to convene via internet conferencing. You should decide what to do if too many are sick and you cannot achieve a quorum and are unable to do anything for lack of able bodies.
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You can assign temporary powers to the Governor, or if you're a city councilperson, to the Mayor, that expire in 3-4 months. That means that powers the executive uses and claims do not get normalized and retained.
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We see the dangers of an unrestrained executive with the president. The risk of the pandemic is that his model will be repeated at the state, county, and local level. Each decision-making body, state, county, and local should convene to set parameters & limits
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It may seem a fig leaf for a city council to say the mayor can do this, that, and the other bossypants thing, especially when you know the mayor is going to do it. but it remains an authorized action. Assumed authority is not being mainstreamed as acceptable.
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Think of how quickly we ceded civil liberties after 9/11. Authoritarianism often follows disaster. We need to legislate the temporary powers so they remain temporary. We do not need another governor just ignoring the court.
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