Checking a governor’s emergency powers

HELENA — A bill under consideration by the Montana Legislature would give legislators more opportunity to check emergency powers granted to the governor in long-running disaster situations like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The measure, House Bill 122, seeks to limit how long emergency and disaster declarations issued by the governor can remain in effect without legislative authorization, distinguish Montana emergency declarations from federal ones, and streamline the process of convening a special session so the Legislature can vote to overturn a governor’s decisions about emergency orders and aid allocations.

Sponsor Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, told the House State Administration Committee in a hearing Tuesday that the bill is a direct response to the COVID-19 situation, which has had Montana operating under a state of emergency since last March. He and other lawmakers said they’ve gotten an earful from constituents who have wanted the Legislature, which is Republican-controlled, to play a bigger role in the state’s coronavirus response.