Holzapfel: Instead of Wasting Time on “Magic Mushrooms,” Legislature Should Examine Murphy’s Coronavirus Response

Says Democrats “Keeping Their Heads Buried Firmly in the Sand” Blocking Multiple Efforts to Hold Governor Accountable for Arbitrary & Haphazard Response to COVID-19

With new restrictions ordered by Governor Murphy set to inflict additional economic harm on New Jerseyans, Senator Jim Holzapfel urged the New Jersey Legislature to prioritize a review of the Murphy administration’s coronavirus response to date.

“The Democratic majorities in the New Jersey Legislature are keeping their heads buried firmly in the sand while Governor Murphy is issuing new executive orders that will hurt many of our constituents without any legislative oversight whatsoever,” said Holzapfel (R-10). “Instead of serving as a critical check on the governor’s executive powers, they are wasting the Legislature’s time with an unnecessary fight over ‘magic mushrooms,’ the outcome of which is inconsequential to most New Jerseyans. Meanwhile, people continue to lose their jobs, more restaurants and small businesses are going under, and residents are still getting sick despite making so many sacrifices. It’s unbelievable that Trenton Democrats have so little interest in protecting working families that are getting hit the hardest by Governor Murphy’s overbearing executive orders.”

Senate Republicans introduced a resolution in May calling for the formation of a special committee to investigate the effectiveness of the Murphy Administration’s response to the coronavirus.

The resolution, SR-68, would create the “Senate Select Committee on the Executive Branch’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which would examine the effectiveness of Governor Murphy’s various executive orders along with the impact of directives issued by executive branch departments, including the Department of Health.

Since May, the Senate Republican caucus has written numerous formal letters to the Senate President and issued dozens of press releases highlighting the need for the investigation. Multiple attempts to bring the resolution up for a vote by the full Senate were immediately blocked by the Democratic majority.

Similarly, Democrats have blocked an effort by Republicans to force a vote on a measure, S-2482, that would limit emergency executive orders issued by a governor to a duration of 14 days unless the Legislature approves an extension.

“It’s the definition of insanity to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result, but that’s apparently what Governor Murphy will be able to do as Trenton Democrats refuse any effort to review his administration’s haphazard and arbitrary response to COVID-19,” added Holzapfel. “It’s yet another sad demonstration of the misplaced priorities of a majority party that has been cemented in power for so long that they no longer feel accountable to the people.”