During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many state legislatures imposed limits on public health authority....

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many state legislatures imposed limits on public health authority. One study found that such limits were associated with higher death rates. The study concluded that the motivation behind limiting public health authority was more related to politicization and political competition rather than to pushback against specific COVID-19 public health actions. It also showed that states with unified Republican control (i.e. both legislature and governorship under Republican control) were the most likely to limit public health emergency authority.

Read more from:

  • Haddow K, Carr D, Winig BD, Adler S. Preemption, public health, and equity in the time of COVID-19. In: S Burris, S Guia, L Gable, DE Levin, WE Parmet, NP Terry, eds. Assessing Legal Responses to COVID-19. Boston: Public Health Law Watch; 2020.

  • Xue Zhang, Mildred E. Warner & Gen Meredith, Factors Limiting U.S. Public Health Emergency Authority During COVID-19, 20 Int'l J. Env't Res. & Pub. Health 12554 (2023).

Adam PolaskiAll Categories, COVID19, Public Health