South Pima News

The Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors are asking the Arizona Legislature to take action against Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order extension. 

The governor's stay-at-home order was extended until May 15 and was also altered to allow some retail stores to open and others to allow curbside pickup, according to the Arizona Daily Independent. But the Green Valley Chamber is concerned about the economic impacts the extension will have. 

“We’ve been shut down for six weeks, and while the original goal of health care capacity has been met, we continue allowing businesses to die,” Bill Bracco, Chairman of the Board of Directors said in a press release. “This indefinite closure is putting small businesses out of business and it has to end today. The idea that a mayor, county manager, or a governor can unilaterally dictate policy for indefinite periods of time goes against our republican form of government. City councils, boards of supervisors and the legislature need to step up and exert their lawful authority granted to them by the voters.”

Title 26 of Arizona Revised Statues states that the Arizona Legislature has deference to end emergency latitudes, according to the Arizona Daily Independent.  

In the press release, the Chamber called on the "elected state representatives and senators to live up to their charge as defined in Title 26-303: 'The powers granted the governor under this chapter terminate by proclamation of the governor or by concurrent resolution of the legislature declaring it at an end.'Bring yourself into session, debate the merits of the state of emergency and end this state of emergency. Tell the country and the world that Arizona is Open for Business.”

In a resolution written by the Chamber, the Legislature is called upon to use their authority to pass a Concurrent Resolution declaring this emergency over. 

Bracco signed the resolution along with Board President and CEO Randy Graf, according to the Arizona Daily Independent.