NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that she would not extend her COVID-19 state of emergency powers past the midnight deadline as cases fall and with weeks left before she faces off against Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin in the state's general election.
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The emergency powers, which lapse when the clock strikes midnight early Tuesday, were first enacted by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in spring 2020. The powers granted by lawmakers allowed Cuomo to pass statewide pandemic mandates without needing legislative approval.
Hochul, like her predecessor, has allowed that authority to continue since then, much to Zeldin and state Republicans' ire.
Some of the contributors to her first election since Cuomo's resignation have received government contracts related to COVID supplies, NY1 reported.
The governor's office has argued that safeguards are in place to prevent conflicts of interest.
It also comes as the state continues to phase out COVID mandates, including in schools and on mass transit.
The state is also reportedly hoping that new booster shots available to people 12 and older will help the state avoid another winter spike.
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