Washington has been in a state of emergency since the day he took office.
On Feb. 29, 2020, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the virus has since receded somewhat as a public health threat, as of Wednesday, Washingtonians were living under day 900 of that ongoing state of emergency.
Earlier this month, The Center Square asked if Inslee had any second thoughts about the duration of his emergency declaration. A press secretary indicated that was not the case.
“As for your questions about how long the order has been in place, this debate is more rhetorical than it is based on anything that has happened or could theoretically ever happen under the statute we have,” Inslee spokesperson Mike Faulk said via email. “The governor has used his authority prudently to save lives and his exercise of that authority has been upheld in court every time it was challenged.
“Most Washingtonians are not as concerned about whether the governor has an emergency order in place as they are over whether it is appropriate, helpful and effective at keeping their communities safe. It does those things without violating anyone’s rights or the separation of powers, as the results in our communities and in our courts continue to confirm.”