LETTER: Gov. Steve Sisolak has too much ‘emergency’ power

Thank you for your Jan. 30 editorial advocating that Gov. Steve Sisolak rescind Nevada’s indoor mask mandate. Many European nations have rescinded their mask mandates. The mayor of Denver just did the same.

The problem is that Nevadans are still lobbying the governor to rescind the mandate. The governor uses the Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 414 as the legal basis for his unilaterally issued mandates. That statute was enacted by members of the Legislature, ceding their power in the event of an extreme emergency such as foreign invasion or a natural disaster. In essence, the statute exists for emergencies when there is simply no time to convene a regular legislative session. Our current “emergency” has been going on for nearly two years.

Even if you believe Gov. Sisolak was well within his powers in issuing lockdowns and mask mandates at the start of the pandemic, it’s time the Legislature takes that power back. It was never intended to give one person — Republican or Democrat — unlimited unilateral powers to do whatever he or she deems necessary for an indefinite amount of time.

It’s time for the Legislature to amend Chapter 414 and put a time limit on it.