Courts to governors: Remember that people have rights

In times of great crisis, the United States has risen to the challenge of overcoming the threat to life, liberty, and safety while preserving the constitutional rights afforded to its people. The coronavirus pandemic has quickly shifted from a public health crisis to a constitutional crisis that threatens essential liberties.

As lawsuits have finally worked their way through the courts, decisions are now coming down that call into question the near-absolute powers that some governors have seized, preventing state executives from elevating themselves above the legislative and judicial branches.