RI Lawmakers Extend Governor's Emergency Powers To March

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island lawmakers voted Thursday to extend Gov. Dan McKee's emergency executive authority for another month. The resolution gives the governor the power to continue issuing executive orders related to the coronavirus state of emergency through the end of March.

Both the House of Representatives and Senate approved the special resolution during Thursday's session, passing in both chambers by a wide margin.

Under the legislation, McKee will retain his additional executive authority provided by the state of emergency until March 31. At that time, the legislature called for McKee to end the state of emergency "if the Governor finds that the threat of danger has passed to the extent that emergency conditions no longer exist." The legislature has the authority to again extend the governor's emergency executive authority beyond the March 31 deadline, if deemed necessary.

The passage of the resolution means that McKee has the authority to keep the school mask mandate in place until March 4, when it is set to expire. It will not be renewed at that time, McKee said Wednesday. At that time, decisions about mask requirements will be left to individual districts.

Related: Public Mask Or Vaccine Requirements End In Rhode Island

Rhode Island has been under a state of emergency since March 9, 2020. Then-Gov. Gina Raimondo issued the executive order to allow greater flexibility in responding to the quickly changing situation.

"We need to take action," Raimondo said at the time. "I want every tool at my disposal."

The initial state of emergency was continued until August 2021, when Gov. Dan McKee issued a new declaration. When asked in October, McKee said the state would see "a slow exit" from the state of emergency, based on data including vaccination rates, case numbers and hospitalizations.