NJ Assembly poised to make Gov. Murphy more powerful (Opinion)

The NJ Assembly at the behest of Phil Murphy and speaker Craig Coughlin are discussing a bill that if passed will essentially extend the governor's ability to keep us locked down indefinitely. In the language of the actual bill, the emergency order will be terminated buy will remain in effect until the governor says so.

Say what? Extend the emergency in order to end the emergency? Here's the pull quote:

16 The bill specifies that the termination of the public health
emergency declared by the Governor in Executive Order No. 103 of
2020, as extended, will in no way diminish, limit, or impair the
powers of the Governor or the head of a State agency pursuant to the
provisions of the civilian defense and disaster control act P.L.1942,
c.251 (C.App.A:9-33 et seq.). The state of emergency declared in
Executive Order No. 103 of 2020 pursuant to that law will remain in
effect until terminated by the Governor.
Following the termination of the public health emergency declared
by the Governor in Executive Order No. 103 of 2020, as extended,
the Governor, Commissioner of Health, and the head of any other
State agency may issue orders, directives, and waivers pursuant to
the emergency health powers law, P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-
1 et seq.), related to (1) vaccination distribution, administration, and
management, (2) COVID-19 testing, (3) health resource and
personnel allocation, (4) data collection, retention, sharing, and
access, (5) coordination of local health departments, and (6)
implementation of any applicable recommendations of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent or limit the
transmission of COVID-19, including in specific settings. - https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A9999/5777_I1.PDF

The governor is trying to use the legislature to keep his power grab going. No science. No common sense. No justification. No reliable metrics. Just power. Power to coerce you into taking an experimental jab and forcing it on your kids. Power to keep NJ small businesses shuttered even as we now hear that one in three will never be able to reopen again. Power to keep you isolated from friends and family. All based on the false narrative of a health emergency.

Nearly every state in America is reopened, kids back in school, unmasked with no isolation or distance. And all of them are seeing no "spike" in disease or hospitalizations. This is the worst kind of arbitrary government abuse of power and it must be stopped. Thankfully two of the leading candidates for NJ governor on the GOP side, Phil Rizzo and Jack Ciattarelli, have spoken out aggressively. Thankfully, the Assembly GOP leader Jon Bramnick let me know that there will be no GOP votes for this bill. Thankfully, there are some Democrats, namely my friend Jamel Holley, who have the courage to speak out against the continued abuse from Trenton. There are two million registered Democrats in NJ, who really speaks for them?

Who speaks for the NJ residents who are struggling to pay the rent, find a job that helps them pay the bills? Who speaks for the school kids who have been masked up, isolated and taught to fear other people? Who speaks for normal? Certainly not Governor Murphy or any member of the legislature who supports this bill. I'll be naming names after the vote.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.