Massachusetts Telegraphed Governors' COVID-19 Oppression 70 Years Ago

American Thinker.com ^ | May 21, 2020 | Brian Camenker

[Kaslin]

Governors across the country are imposing harsh, sweeping, and often arbitrary statewide edicts on the basis of a COVID-19 emergency. But where did governors get these powers? Were they legitimately created by state legislatures, or are the governors (and local authorities) just dreaming them up as they go along?

Over a decade ago in Massachusetts, our pro-family group MassResistance played a big part in limiting the governor's "legal" powers during a pandemic. That successful effort applies to today's situation. And it makes Governor Charlie Baker's power-grab even more disturbing.

But this story actually began several decades earlier.

The Massachusetts Civil Defense Act of 1950

On August 29, 1949, the USSR successfully detonated its first atomic bomb. Cold War panic ignited across America. There were fears of a Soviet invasion of the United States. The following year, the Massachusetts Legislature reacted by passing the "Civil Defense Act — Chapter 639 of the Acts of 1950."

The main stated purpose of the law was to give the state government a way to "effectively minimize the damage" from "attack, sabotage, or other hostile action" by "enemies of the United States." The Legislature also included some other categories of disasters that cause physical damage: "disaster or catastrophe resulting from riot or other civil disturbance; or by fire, flood, earthquake or other natural causes."

[Kaslin]

The founding Fathers must be turning in their graves.

[Albion Wilde]

bump for later

[Vermont Lt]

So if this came from China, it’s covered.

That’s probably not what they had in mind.

The Mass Legislature is brain dead. But I think back in the 50s they were Republican.