Deseret News Bill would empower only the Legislature to extend emergencies, and allow lawmakers to end emergency early Share this story Steve Griffin, Deseret News SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah Senate leader has unveiled a bill with major implications for Gov. Spencer Cox’s emergency powers, as well as politicians’ ability to override state and local public health orders. The Legislature will consider the bill backed by legislative leaders that would enable them to declare an end to the state’s COVID-19 emergency. The proposal surfaced about a month away from the one-year anniversary of the day everything changed when the COVID-19 emergency was declared in Utah.