<p>INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s governor is asking a court to block a new law passed by state legislators giving themselves more authority to intervene when the state’s chief executive declares an emergency.</p>
<p>Lawyers for Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a Marion County court challenging the law that the Republican-dominated Legislature enacted 12 days ago over his veto.</p>
<p>The lawsuit argues that the Legislature is “usurping a power given exclusively to the governor” under the state constitution to call lawmakers into a special session.</p>
<p>Republican legislators pushed the bill after months of criticism from some conservatives over the mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions that Holcomb imposed by executive order during the public health emergency with the General Assembly not meeting for about nine months.</p>
<p>Republican legislative leaders have said they expected a court challenge to the emergency session plan. They’ve maintained that the measure wasn’t “anti-governor” and have praised Holcomb’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which health officials say has killed more than 13,000 people in the state.</p>
<p>Holcomb’s lawsuit argues that any use of the new law would be disruptive to the state and causes “uncertainty and confusion over the constitutional powers of the Executive and Legislative Branches.”</p>
