ALBANY (WBEN) The New York State Senate on Tuesday signaled a repeal for some executive orders made by Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a press release from state Sen. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the state Senate will vote to repeal three executive orders, including a directive that requires restaurants to serve food with the purchase of an alcoholic beverage.
"New Yorkers have stepped up to take the appropriate safety precautions to curb the spread of COVID-19," Stewart-Cousins said. "As more New Yorkers continue to get vaccinated, and our infection rates continue to decline, it is time to begin removing certain restrictions and regulations that are no longer necessary, so we can safely reopen and rebuild our state's economy.
We ask New Yorkers to continue to heed public health guidance as it relates to mask wearing, observe social distancing precautions and get vaccinated so that we don't lose ground in our recovery."
The expected action will mark the first time that the state Legislature acts to end any of Cuomo's pandemic-related executive orders.
It's believed that the state Assembly intends to follow in the footsteps of the Senate.
Gov. Cuomo has yet to respond to the repeals. However, senior advisor Rich Azzopardi took to Twitter, saying the governor had plans to address the same directives in an upcoming executive order that will allow state-run vaccination sites to accept walk-ins.
"Half those regulations were already repealed as supply increased. The rest are going to be in the EO allowing open walk-ups at state sites starting Thursday," Azzopardi wrote.
Senate Democrats say they will continue to review the governor's coronavirus-related orders that could be removed during the current legislative session.
