June 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Legislatures in at least 15 U.S. states have passed or are currently considering measures to crack down on public health agencies in the wake of the agencies’ unprecedented use of power during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a May report from the Network for Public Health Law (NPHL) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) — neither organization is in favor of the laws — the new state legislation will sharply check the authority of public health officials to unilaterally enact specific measures which restrict the rights and freedoms of citizens during a public health emergency.
“In recent months, at least 15 state legislatures have passed or are considering measures to limit severely the legal authority of public health agencies,” the report says, adding that “other states may consider such legislation in the future.”
A sampling of the laws described in the report include those which would:
prohibit requiring masks (North Dakota)
remove the power of the governor to force the closure of businesses (Kansas)
ban quarantine orders (Montana)
forbid state hospitals and universities to require vaccines for students and employees (a new
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