Assemblyman John Salka (R, C, Ref-Brookfield) is voicing his opposition to a bill (A.416), which would give the governor the power to remove or detain a person who is deemed to be a “suspected case, contact or carrier of a contagious disease who are or may be a danger to public health.”
The plan is to utilize such a piece of legislation when the governor declares a state of health emergency due to an epidemic, Salka said, explaining a suspected carrier would be detained in a “medical facility or other appropriate facility or premises designated by the governor.”
“We cannot give the governor sole authority to detain someone, as it is simply unconstitutional,” said Salka. “I am deeply disappointed in my colleagues who are seeking to add to Gov. Cuomo’s numerous emergency powers. Now is not the time to introduce a bill like this, giving the governor even more power over the people.
“As I have said before, we must limit the governor’s emergency powers, and the Legislature must do its job by checking the power of the executive. We must bring a sense of normalcy back to the state as we navigate through this pandemic. I have led the charge to balance New York’s emergency power statues, and I will continue to do so throughout the rest of this pandemic.”
Assemblyman John Salka represents the 121st Assembly District, encompassing all of Madison County and portions of Oneida and Otsego counties.
Is a nursing home a “medical facility or other appropriate facility or premises designated by the governor.”?