Gov. Inslee’s emergency powers over COVID have gone unchecked long enough | Editorial

Washington state is supposed to have three branches of government, but when it comes to managing the COVID pandemic the Legislature has been an insignificant limb.

It can’t stay that way.

Many state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle desperately want to take back the legislative authority that’s been truncated by a law giving Gov. Jay Inslee unlimited emergency powers.

When that law was approved, no one expected an emergency would last for months on end in the form of a deadly disease. People were thinking more along the lines of a short-term natural disaster.

But now, after a year of dealing with COVID and having no idea what the governor may decide next, it is clear legislators and the people they represent should have some say over how the state handles the pandemic.

The problem is Democrats are in the majority, and so far it appears that not enough of them are willing to step up and reclaim their role as a check on the executive branch.

They need to understand that this is not about the job Inslee is doing. This is about restoring governmental balance.

There is no reason why legislators can’t be involved in the COVID decision-making process and still affirm Inslee’s decisions. In fact, that’s a likely outcome since Democrats are the ruling party.

So it is puzzling that more Dems don’t seem to care that their voices — and the voices of their constituents — are being silenced during the most challenging crisis the state, nation and world have faced in recent memory.

Finally, on Thursday, the topic of reining in Inslee’s emergency powers was brought up and discussed on the Senate floor. Amendment 522 was attached to the Senate operating budget but failed in a vote of 22-27.

Still, this is progress.

Since the session began in January, bills that would check Inslee’s COVID decisions have languished and died.

But Democratic leadership can make anything happen. And this last attempt by Senate members to at least discuss Inslee’s emergency powers was a promising start.

Another attempt must be made before the session ends in the next several weeks.

If lawmakers go home without finding some way to put a check on the governor, we could be living with uncertainty for many months.

Every time Inslee holds a news conference, we will wonder if it’s good news or bad, if we are moving forward or backward.

Consider what that’s doing to Franklin County citizens right now.

All counties have to meet or be below a state-set COVID case rate in order to stay in Phase 3 of the state reopening plan. Franklin County remains on the edge and risks dropping back to Phase 2 if it has a modest increase in new cases.

Benton County, on the other hand, appears to be in solid shape and should easily be able to meet the case rate requirement.

What happens if Franklin County slides and Benton County doesn’t? Will businesses in Pasco have to implement new restrictions while those in Kennewick and Richland remain where they are?

Will that just send shoppers over the river to Benton County, making life even tougher for the small business owners in Franklin County?

This would be a terrible scenario for the Tri-Cities.

With the governor opening up COVID vaccinations on April 15 to all people age 16 and above, there should be some flexibility given while communities try to get as many people immunized as possible.

But it’s Inslee’s call, and he alone will decide the next steps.

What makes it even more unsettling is that he has given no indication of where his COVID road map leads.

People have suffered enough, especially those in the hospitality industry, and many are wondering how much longer they can keep their businesses running.

Landlords are wondering if they should sell their rental properties if they continue to lose money on them. People planning big events like weddings and anniversary parties are anxious to know if the rug will be pulled out from under them like it was last summer.

It would ease people’s minds to know their legislative representatives have some say in how the state re-opens. And it would make Washington state’s three branches of government work together as intended.

No one leader is supposed to have so much power for so long over so many.

This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 2:03 AM.