Legislators’ call for more say in state emergency declarations now has some specifics. House Majority Leader Matt Lehman’s bill doesn’t require legislators to vote on an emergency declaration, but it does require that they have the opportunity. Under current law, a governor can declare an emergency for up to a month, but can extend it for a month at a time. Governor Holcomb has renewed his March declaration 10 times. Lehman’s bill would still let a governor declare a one-month emergency on his own, but he could only extend it if the legislature’s in session. If it’s not, he’d have to call a special session. Any two-month span without a special session being called or legislators being in session would terminate the emergency declaration.
