Kean: Democrats’ Flawed Bill to “End” Public Health Emergency Can Hardly Be Called a Compromise

Republicans Were Never Consulted on Measure Extending Murphy’s Emergency Powers & Pandemic Restrictions Until Next Year

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean said a flawed bill agreed to by Governor Phil Murphy and legislative Democrats to extend pandemic emergency measures until 2022 can hardly be called a compromise when no Republicans were consulted.

After the rushed bill was pulled from the Assembly’s agenda today in response to public outrage, the Senate President said he was disappointed in Republicans for not supporting the “compromise” legislation.

“It’s hard to call the bill a ‘compromise’ when Republicans were never consulted or invited to be part of any negotiation on ending the public health emergency,” said Kean (R-21). “Keeping emergency executive orders and unnecessary restrictions in place after the public health emergency has ended makes absolutely no sense. If asked, we would have told them it’s a bad deal.”

The Democrats’ legislation, A-5777, would allow executive orders issued by Governor Murphy during the public health emergency to continue until 2022, even after the public health emergency has finally ended.

Under the bill, the governor would be allowed to maintain mask and social distancing restrictions that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says are unnecessary.

In response to media coverage of the proposal, legislative district offices around the state have been bombarded with phone calls and emails opposing passage of the bill.

“The public got wind of this deeply flawed proposal and scared the Democratic legislative majority enough to halt them in their tracks,” added Kean. “Governor Murphy and Democratic leaders should trust the CDC and listen to fed up New Jerseyans who want the emergency to end now.”