“Today, I voted to immediately revoke the emergency powers that were granted to the governor last year and prohibit him from issuing any new directives. It is time for the legislature to take its power back and restore checks and balances of state government.

“The governor will now have to work transparently and collaboratively with our committee chairs on efforts to combat the pandemic and vaccinate New Yorkers. This legislation will also ensure local governments are more involved in the decision-making process.

“Unfortunately, my colleagues in the Assembly Minority chose to play politics with this issue rather than work with us constructively to combat COVID-19, rebuild our economy and safely reopen our state. These same Assembly members were silent during former President Trump’s disastrous mishandling of the pandemic and his repeated attacks on our democracy, a blatant hypocrisy that speaks volumes.

“Let me be clear – no matter how the Governor and the Minority want to spin it, we’re revoking his extraordinary powers. We are doing so responsibly to ensure the health and safety of New Yorkers and we’re rejecting the dangerous Covid-denying ways of the Minority."