JUNEAU — Today, Speaker Louise Stutes (R-Kodiak) released the following statement affirming the House Majority Coalition’s support for the governor to immediately declare a temporary 30-day disaster declaration on the COVID-19 pandemic:
“The Governor has the authority, today, to provide tools that our healthcare workers desperately need at no additional cost to the state, including lifting regulations that are preventing nurses and doctors from treating patients. Declaring a disaster would immediately ratify the proposal introduced by the governor yesterday, without the unnecessary delay and added expense of going through the legislative process.
The testimony in the House Health and Social Services Committee from our healthcare leaders was absolutely heartbreaking. There should be no ambiguity for what our hospitals need as they deal with this surge of COVID-19 patients, which is pushing the extremely fragile healthcare system in Alaska toward collapse. We cannot allow politics to dictate how we address the crisis that is hurting Alaskans in need of medical care. Declaring a disaster would not impose any mandates but would only provide the Governor with the discretion to utilize the tools as necessary.
The House Majority Coalition implores Governor Dunleavy to immediately declare a disaster declaration on the COVID-19 pandemic.”
