PHOENIX — A plan to ask voters to require the Legislature to reauthorize a governor’s state of emergency declaration every 30 days has been gutted by the Arizona Senate after lawmakers realized more than three dozen open emergencies and millions of dollars in federal funding would be at risk.
An amendment adopted Monday by the Senate removes the requirement that the governor call lawmakers into special session to maintain the emergency declarations.
Instead, voters would be asked to change the constitution to automatically end any special powers a declaration gives a governor after 30 days unless the Legislature extends the time. And it specifically excludes fires and floods, which make up the vast majority of emergencies.
