GOSHEN — Mayor Jeremy Stutsman said he hoped Indiana lawmakers would listen more to health care experts and not get in the state health department’s way in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Stutsman expressed concerns to Indiana Rep. Joanna King during a Third House meeting, hosted by the Goshen Chamber of Commerce via Zoom, Friday morning. King, whose House District 49 seat covers the Goshen and Middlebury areas, was the sole state lawmaker on the call as she gave an update on several bills, including those seeking to limit the governor’s office’s emergency powers.

Joanna King

Jeremy Stutsman

The event came about a day after members of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s staff testified to a state Senate committee that the governor’s authority to issue executive orders was critical to responding to the pandemic emergency, and adding limitations could slow reactions to future emergencies or disasters. The discussion came after the House and Senate have each passed bills on states of emergency — House Bill 1123 and Senate Bill 407 — and each chamber is now considering the other’s measure.

King was among Republican lawmakers who voted to pass the House bill, 69–27, on Feb. 9, Legislature data shows.

She said she has spoken to the bill’s author, Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne), and sent a letter to Holcomb to share concerns she’s heard from local constituents. But with any changes, King advocated a careful approach that balances safety and freedom.

“I know a lot of Elkhart folks are really ready to move on. But we want to make sure we do that safely,” King said. “But, I also want to make sure that Hoosiers have the freedoms to make choices that they feel are good for their families.”

Stutsman remarked on the bills, saying he hopes state lawmakers would follow the advice of health care experts, as well as let Indiana Health Commissioner, Dr. Kristina Box, do her job. He also advocated for continued patience in following health orders and guidelines to keep the spread of COVID-19 low.

“I know a lot of people are getting tired of those stipulations that are out there. But I think they are important, and we need to allow the medical world to take the lead here,” Stutsman said. “The slower we do this, the better. Because the worst-case scenario is we make a mistake, the pandemic comes back and we have to shut our businesses down again. Our community cannot survive that.”

King agreed the state needs to follow the science, but pointed out the state’s in a different scenario than it was a year ago. She said she believes announcements could be made over the next few weeks that would establish some changes.

King also said once the state’s facemask order is lifted, individual communities and businesses would be able to decide whether or not to keep local mask rules in place.

This article is made available through Hoosier State Press Association.