PHOENIX — Arizona Republicans are looking to curtail the government’s emergency powers, which they say were abused by elected officials from the governor on down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their ideas range from eliminating the power to shutter businesses or churches to requiring legislative approval for emergencies lasting longer than 120 days.
Other proposals look to enhance the rights of individuals to resist health protocols, such as treating vaccination status the same as race or sex in employment nondiscrimination laws.
Employers also could face hefty fines if they fire a worker for refusing to get vaccinated, or if an employee is injured from a vaccine they get due to a job mandate.
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
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