A musician plays his trumpet as pedestrians walk by on Royal Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Thursday, July 9, 2020. An increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations at the time forced bars in the tourist-dependent city to shut down again just a month after they were allowed to partially reopen. (The Center Square) – Louisiana’s governor should be required to seek legislative approval before extending a state of emergency beyond 30 days, an attorney for a conservative think tank argues. Under current law, the governor can declare or renew an emergency declaration by executive order, though a majority of either chamber of the Legislature can cancel a state of emergency at any time. Instead, the legislature should be involved on the front end in the discussion of whether a state of emergency should be extended or not, said Sarah Harbison, general counsel for the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, which on Wednesday issued a paper about legal issues raised during a public health emergency. The Pelican Institute previously has argued that Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards should lift restrictions meant to control the spread of COVID-19, citing the economic damage the restrictions cause. Edwards has said […]
