Washington governor says he will limit his own emergency powers if lawmakers don't
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday pledged to restrict his use of emergency powers following the apparent collapse of a Republican-led effort to have the Legislature do so.
Ferguson said if a state of emergency exceeds 60 days while the Legislature is out of session, he would end the declaration, or any order arising from it, upon receiving a written request from three of the four leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives.
And if an emergency declaration is in force longer than 120 days and the Legislature is not in session, Ferguson said he will call a special session to give lawmakers an opportunity to terminate it.
“Reform is necessary to protect Washingtonians in times of emergency while ensuring an appropriate balance between the branches of government,” the first-term Democratic governor said in a statement.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/03/11/washington-governor-says-he-will-limit-his-own-emergency-powers-if-lawmakers-dont/