Hartford — The state House extended Gov. Ned Lamont's remaining executive orders by an 86-62 vote on Thursday.

Nine Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the extension. The House also passed a resolution earlier in the day declaring a new public health and civil emergency in the state.

Debate lasted until almost 10 p.m. Aside from state Rep. Michael D’Agostino, D-Hamden, who took questions from Republicans, Democratic House members sat in almost complete silence for most of the discussion on both measures. Republicans spoke at length in opposition. This was commonplace last session, when Democrats mostly refrained from debate in order to pass legislation faster.

The measures now go to the state Senate.

Republicans put forth an amendment that would give control to parents to decide whether students should continue wearing masks. Southeastern Connecticut Reps. Greg Howard, R-Stonington, and Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, spoke in support.

“Parents want to do the best for their children, and that’s what we are ensuring today, that they can make that choice. If I’m a parent and I’m so afraid that my child being unmasked will be at risk, then please do what you think is best,” Cheeseman said.

“You can’t reason away a parent’s desire to do what’s best for their child,” she later added.

Howard echoed Cheeseman. He noted boards of education have become political battlegrounds, calling them “some of the most contentious races that we see.” He argued leaving the decision on masks to the boards, as Lamont has proposed, could cause tension.

“These volunteers who sit on those boards of education do not need us to kick another responsibility down to them,” he said.

The amendment ultimately failed.

The public health and civil emergency declaration was passed in order for the state to qualify for tens of millions in monthly federal FEMA and SNAP aid. It was approved 89-56 mostly along party lines, with three Democrats joining Republicans in opposing the measure, in the early afternoon following almost two hours of debate.

According to the text of the resolution, declaring this emergency “is essential to the health, safety and welfare of Connecticut’s citizens that there continue to be declared public health and civil preparedness emergencies to enable state agencies to access crucial federal funds.”

Republicans argued the state is not still in a public health and civil emergency, and it was a mostly symbolic move meant only to get more money for the state. Democrats said it was a common-sense move to help the state and its people financially, and said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, not only on people’s health but on every aspect of life, has to be acknowledged.

Executive orders

Among the policies the legislature debated to possibly extend Lamont's executive orders was one that would allow the commissioners of the state Education and Public Health departments to again implement statewide school and day care masking or social distancing rules if they see fit up until the end of the school year on June 30.

The governor hadn't directly ordered a mask mandate in schools, but rather signed executive orders empowering the commissioners of the Department of Public Health and Department of Education to require masks, which they have. Lamont developed his plan to eliminate the statewide mandate in consultation with both. Following his announcement Monday that he is moving to end the statewide school mask mandate Feb. 28 and put the decision in districts' hands, superintendents in southeastern Connecticut are figuring out what to do — and awaiting more information.

The Public Health Committee held a public hearing Tuesday on the possible continuation of Lamont’s orders. Among those who don't want kids forced to wear masks in school, some praised Lamont's announcement, some called it overdue and others said the decision should be left up to parents rather than school districts.

People on various sides of the issue have called it an election-year ploy or criticized Lamont for passing the decision to school districts. During his State of the State Address on Wednesday, which was otherwise well received by his party and occasionally by some Republicans, Lamont was met with silence from both parties when he brought up his decision to lift the school mask mandate later this month.

The executive orders in question were set to expire on Feb. 15, prompting Thursday’s bill.

Parts of the bill changed throughout the day, as legislators eventually included an amendment to give renters/landlords until April 15 to apply for COVID-19 relief. As of print deadline Thursday, the bill included a coronavirus vaccination requirement for nursing home visitors (expiring March 15) as well as long-term care workers and state hospital employees, who have until March 7 to be vaccinated. Unvaccinated people aged 2 or older still must wear masks in indoor spaces through April 15 and applies when adequate social distancing is not possible.

Also extended to April 15 is an executive order that allows the state DPH to divulge a person’s vaccination status to their local health director, health care provider or school nurse, and allows health directors and school nurses to look up an individual's vaccination status when responding to COVID-19 outbreaks.

An order issued to make it so state contracting agencies can forgo certain state statutes requiring a competitive bidding process for equipment or for essential services contracts has been extended to April 15.

State House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, and Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, took questions from the news media ahead of Thursday’s session. They said they would be tweaking a plan to no longer require students to be in school for 180 days due to some disagreement on the subject on both sides of the aisle. They ultimately did not include the provision in the bill.

The original proposal would have cut the benchmark of 180 days for schools to be in session to 175. Ritter said the state Department of Education was not on board with the five waiver days.

Ritter clarified that the commissioner of the state Office of Early Childhood “makes the final decision for day care centers if there’s going to be a mask mandate.” If the commissioner lifts the mandate, “it would be up to private businesses” on whether to require masks. If the pre-K program is in a public school, the masking decision would rest with the local school board.

House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, took questions from reporters Thursday morning ahead of the votes while flanked by other state Republicans. They strongly opposed extending the handful of remaining executive orders out of the almost 300 Lamont has issued during the pandemic.

Candelora argued that rather than masking, “I think we should continue to rely on the vaccines and the natural herd immunity that’s occurred.” But, he said, he and his Republican colleagues are opposed to vaccine mandates on health care workers for what they say is fear the workforce would diminish too significantly too quickly.

He said Republicans' chief concern on Thursday is the provisions for masking in schools.

“While there is a claim that we’re going to be removing masks by February 28th, it is still continuing the same authority with the Office of Early Childhood, the State Department of Education and the Department of Public Health determining whether or not masks should be placed on or off children’s faces up through June 30, 2022,” Candelora said.

He added that he thought there were “pockets of Democrats” who also are concerned about extending the governor’s executive orders.

s.spinella@theday.com