Legislative leaders and Gov. Chris Sununu reached an agreement on additional reforms to emergency executive order powers, a deal NH Journal reports House Majority Leader Jason Osborne said would deliver the reform House Republicans had fought for all year. The agreement was viewed as potentially decisive for the upcoming House budget vote.
Legislative leaders and Gov. Chris Sununu have reached an agreement on additional reforms to emergency executive order powers, NHJournal has learned. According to House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, the deal will give House Republicans “the reform they’ve been fighting for all year.”
NH Journal
NH Journal explains the timing and stakes of the deal.
While the legislation won’t move forward until the fall, the agreement has the potential to impact Thursday’s House vote on the state budget, where its fate is expected to come down to a handful of GOP votes.
NH Journal
The report notes the existing budget language on executive power.
While the budget puts new restrictions on the use of executive power in the future — including giving the legislature the authority to end specific executive orders without ending the overall state of emergency
NH Journal
Some members of the Freedom Caucus said it still fell short, according to NH Journal.
The reality is the amendment further dilutes existing statute by extending the state of emergency length from 21 days to 45 days and, contrary to comments by the Senate, the language does not correct the issue at hand,” the House Freedom Caucus said in a statement. “The language would require a vote to end the State of Emergency, not to continue it.”
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In a podcast interview, Osborne acknowledged the deal’s limits, NH Journal reports.
I don’t think we accomplished everything our members wanted
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne
The agreement on executive power arrived as leaders worked to count votes for the budget, whose fate was expected to come down to a small number of GOP members.
Osborne presented the deal as the reform House Republicans had pursued throughout the session, NH Journal reports, while acknowledging that some members wanted more. The legislation itself would not move forward until the fall.
Whether the agreement would be enough to satisfy reluctant members remained a question heading into the floor vote, with libertarian-leaning lawmakers continuing to press for further changes.
Osborne noted the push to rebalance power between the governor and legislature would continue past the budget.
The Freedom Caucus said the language still did not go far enough.
Leadership viewed the agreement as enough to bring some reluctant members on board.
The deal’s ultimate effect on the vote remained to be seen heading into Thursday.
The legislation itself would not move forward until the fall.
The budget’s fate was expected to come down to a handful of GOP votes, NH Journal reports.
Some libertarian-leaning members continued to press for further changes.
Leaders saw the agreement as a way to win over reluctant members.
The Freedom Caucus said the language still fell short of its goals.
Osborne said the work to rebalance power would continue after the budget.
The deal arrived as leaders counted votes for the package.
Read the full story at NH Journal.
