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12/20/2021 House Republicans seek to restore the rule of law and representative government
STATE HOUSE — As Governor McKee’s onerous vaccine and mask mandates in Executive Order 21-116 go into effect today, House Republicans issue the following plan of action:

“These latest mandates are harmful to individual privacy and our struggling businesses. While some may differ about whether these mandates are good policy, it is indisputable that such mandates must be made under clear legal authority. 

"That legal authority no longer exists because in June, 2021, the General Assembly limited the Governor’s emergency powers to 180-days, which only the General Assembly may extend (RIGL § 30-15-9(g)).

"Rather than seek General Assembly permission to extend his emergency powers, Governor McKee cynically attempted to bypass the 180-day law by declaring a 'new' state of emergency over the Delta Variant. A COVID-19 variant, by its nature, is not a “new” emergency. It remains the same pandemic we’ve dealt with for nearly two years. "



For more information, contact:
Sue Stenhouse, House Minority Office
State House Room 106
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-5582