This complaint in the Declaration of Independence came to mind while reading Democrat Governor Dan McKee’s executive order on the calculation of unemployment insurance fees for businesses:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

Here’s the relevant text from McKee’s order:

References to “computation date” contained in R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-43-8 as the term is defined in R.I. Gen. Laws§ 28-43-1(2) are hereby suspended and shall be replaced with a date no later than November 30, 2021 to be determined by the Director of Department of Labor and Training

Look, this isn’t the biggest issue on the table, and it might even be reasonable policy, but if emergency orders are going to be perpetual for years on end, we really need to keep an eye on their scope.  Declarations of states of emergency are not meant for long-term management of events that challenge existing systems.

Where is our legislature?