On July 21, 2020, the province of Ontario gave Royal Assent to Bill 195, Re-opening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 ("Bill 195")… Bill 195 permits the government to continue to maintain and modify emergency orders made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) for at least a year after the end of the declared emergency, and possibly longer. Share This Page. Andrea Lawson - July 14, 2020, 6:39 am. Most concerning is the lack of public consultation before passing the legislation. Bill 195 permits the government to continue to maintain and modify emergency orders made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) for at least a year after the end of the declared emergency, and possibly longer. On July 8, 2020, the Province introduced Bill 197, the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act. Although the declared Emergency has ended, almost all orders made under Ontario's Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (" EMPCA ") will remain in effect as orders under Bill 195. Bill 195 has been enacted as Chapter 17 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2020. The Province's reform of its environmental assessment program largely focuses on reducing process and consultation for environmental assessments ( EA ), but preserves specific consultation rights for Indigenous communities. Doug Ford defended Bill 195 by claiming that his “government’s first priority is the health and safety of all Ontarians.” “The main result of Bill 195 is to stifle the dissent of the Legislature and prevent interference with the Ford Cabinet’s power,” states Jay Cameron, the Justice Centre’s Litigation Manager. They are challenging the province’s enactment of omnibus Bill 197: the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act. This omnibus bill includes 20 schedules which amends multiple Acts. On July 7, 2020, the Solicitor General tabled Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (“Bill 195”). “This government has bypassed democratic process and rammed through Bills 195 and 197. 197. Bill 195 eliminates this requirement – leaving no meaningful democratic check on the government’s power. On July 7, 2020 the Solicitor General tabled Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (“Bill 195”). H.B. Bill 195 authorizes the government to maintain orders, issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, that interfere with the collective bargaining rights of ONA members and other unionized workers. Bill 195 will not affect employee’s entitlement to the IDEL so long as the ESA continues to recognize COVID-19 as a designated infectious disease. Sub. support for house bill 197: “CCAO’s members appreciate the added flexibility provided to counties to conduct virtual meetings in the recently passed Am. The changes also seek to expedite projects and activities related to land claim settlements and other agreements with Indigenous communities. Bill 197. What Bill 195 would do is effectively lift the current emergency orders out of the framework of the EMCPA and continue them under new conditions. Effective March 27, 2020, the Ohio Legislature passed House Bill 197 as a direct response to Governor Mike DeWine’s executive order earlier that month. It also allows individual Ministers to extend, amend, or revoke some of the emergency orders that are currently in force. Date: July 23, 2020 On July 21, 2020, Bill 195, Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 received Royal Assent. Bill 197, the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, which was introduced in the legislature on Wednesday, is a hefty 92 pages divided up into 20 separate sections that amend dozens of pieces of legislation.It touches on everything from environmental assessments to marriage licences and Ontario’s courts. Bill 195 is a blatant overreach by Doug Ford and an assault on democracy,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Patty Coates. Bill 195 is the proposed legislation to reopen Ontario. ONA believes Bill 195 is unconstitutional and unnecessary, given that the COVID-19 threat seems to have somewhat subsided. In essence, Bill 195 would give the Premier and Ministers the power to impose emergency orders that drastically curtail basic rights and freedoms without the need to engage in the legislative process or involve members of the Legislative Assembly. Bill 195 is power seeking, but it may be only the beginning. It ensures that measures remain in place to address the threat of COVID-19 once the provincial declaration of emergency has ended. Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario Act, is an omnibus bill that outlines how the provincial government will move forward in its response to COVID-19. Critics of Bill 197 say it makes some concerning changes to environmental law. The bill is now with Governor Mike DeWine, who worked with the General Assembly on House Bill 197 and thanked it for “the [bill’s] bipartisan and unanimous passage,” for signature. Originally introduced in Ohio’s House of Representatives on April 11, 2019 as a tax conformity measure, HB 197 underwent substantial amendments in the Senate in response to COVID-19. Arbitration Reform Act of 2015. Below is CFNU’s letter to Premier Ford. Bills 195, 197, 199, 202, 206 and JR 028 are Going to Vote. The Act continues orders made under sections 7.0.2 and 7.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act in relation to COVID-19. On July 21, 2020, Bill 195 (the Bill) received royal assent.The Bill’s purpose is to delegate, within limits, from the legislature to the cabinet, certain rule-making and revoking authorities so as to support the appropriate return of employees back to the physical workplace in response to the current threat of COVID-19. The Government has positioned the bill as addressing three critical needs Ontario faces: restarting jobs and development; strengthening communities and; creating opportunity for people. Jared Buker and Brian P. Perry. Ontario Nurses Association Calls Passing Of Bills 195 and 197 “A Dark Day” July 22, 2020 The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is calling today “a dark day for the province’s registered nurses and health-care professionals” as the Ford government has passed Bills 195 and 197. The Ford government has kicked Cambridge MPP Belinda Karahalios out of the Progressive Conservative caucus after she voted against Bill 195, calling it “an unnecessary overreach of our parliamentary democracy.” The premier’s office confirmed the news in a statement, saying she would no longer be a sitting member of the PC caucus. FTR Now Bill 195 Passes: Declared Emergency Will End But Emergency Orders Will Continue. Not Amended. The Bill would allow current emergency orders to remain in place without a formal declaration of a state of emergency. Bill 195, the creatively named Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19 Act),” says ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN, “provides extensive powers to override collective agreements and take away the rights of our nurses and health-care professionals who have been working so hard to provide … Bill 195 came into force on July 24, 2020 to coincide with the termination of the declared provincial emergency. Bill 202. Homicide is also justifiable when committed by any person in any of the following cases: (1) When resisting any attempt to murder any person, or to commit a … California Assembly Bill 197 (AB 197) AB-197 is a California bill signed into law on September 8, 2016. Bill 195 eliminates this requirement – leaving no meaningful democratic check on the government’s power. By. “This government has bypassed democratic process and rammed through Bills 195 and 197. 197. “Our government’s first […] Vote. The NDP say “Ford’s Bill 197 makes dangerous changes to Ontario’s environmental assessment process, yet the government failed to hold public consultations on the legislation, and rammed it into law with minimal debate.” Kingston and the Island MPP, Ian Arthur, says the recent passing of Bill 197 is illegal since the Ford government didn't consult with the public beforehand. The Ontario government has announced that the new Act will be proclaimed in force on July 24, 2020. The Bill enacts the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020. Health care workers plan “political action” against Bill 195. Under the current law, the government needs to renew any emergency orders every 14 days; the new bill would make that every 30 days. Therefore, if employees are unable to work because they are under medical investigation, are in self-isolation or are taking care of individuals because of a matter related to COVID-19, the employee will continue to be entitled to IDEL. An Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament will no longer be sitting as a member of the Progressive Conservative caucus after voting against the party’s proposed COVID-19 recovery omnibus bill. We thank Governor DeWine and the members of the Ohio General Assembly for providing counties the authority needed to conduct meetings via teleconference, video conference or other electronic means. Tuesday July 21 at 11:00 a.m. we will hold a 5 minute political protest against Bill 195 How Bill 195 hurts you: Vacations can be cancelled; Your shift can be changed (from days to nights for example) Your job can be eliminated and you can be reassigned with no say; Hours of work can be changed; Leaves of absence can be denied or cancelled Bill 195 came into force on July 24, 2020, bringing an end to the declared State of Emergency in Ontario. Canadian Environmental Law Association T 416 960-2284 • 1-844-755-1420 • F 416 960-9392 • 55 University Avenue, Suite 1500 Toronto, Ontario M5J 2H7 • cela.ca PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF SCHEDULE 6 OF BILL 197: PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ACT Prepared by Richard D. Lindgren, CELA Counsel It is described by the government as a “flexible response to COVID-19.” The Ontario Nurses’ Association and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions strongly oppose this bill. JR 028. 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