Govs On Deck – August 5, 2019

August 5th, 2019

Good Monday morning! Welcome to this week’s edition of “Govs on Deck” – the weekly tip sheet dedicated to keeping you informed about what is happening in Democratic governors’ offices around the country.
Questions or suggestions? Send me a note at amestoy@dga.net. You can find us all on Twitter too – @A_Tall_Turner, @CEAmestoy, and @MichBeyer.
Coming up this week:

• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY will name a blockchain task force at an event at Bell Lab. The taskforce will promote growth of the industry in the state’s innovation economy.
• In OREGON, Gov. Kate BROWN will sign a bill to create a statewide family and medical leave insurance fund allowing workers up to 12 weeks of paid leave. The plan has been hailed as progressive for not just the high rates of coverage, but the broader inclusion of different family scenarios covered as well.
• OREGON Gov. Kate BROWN will also sign legislation aimed at tackling the housing supply issue. The bill will end single-family zoning in cities larger than 10k inhabitants. It’s the first legislation of its kind at a statewide level.
• RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina RAIMONDO will hold a ceremonial bill signing today to sign a law extending the amount of time victims of childhood sexual abuse have to sue. The bill gives victims 35 years to sue their abusers and institutions that shielded them, replacing the previous limits of seven and three years respectively.
• The MISSISSIPPI gubernatorial primary is on Tuesday.

How ‘bout Dem govs: Great Lakes Agenda
Dem govs get it done.
A group of five Democratic governors, led by MICHIGAN Gov. Gretchen WHITMER, released a Great Lakes 2020 Presidential Agenda ahead of last week’s Democratic debates. The agenda, signed by WISCONSIN Gov. Tony EVERS, ILLINOIS Gov. JB PRITZKER, MINNESOTA Gov. Tim WALZ, and PENNSYLVANIA Gov. Tom WOLF, calls on all presidential candidates to adopt a series of policy priorities for the Great Lakes region.
The Great Lakes states (MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, and NY) represent 25 percent of the electoral college and include swing states critical for a White House victory. The states also represent a $6 trillion regional economy that supports 51 million jobs.
Read the full agenda here.
Some news from this past week:

• Campaign finance reform
  • MONTANA Gov. Steve BULLOCK won his lawsuit against the IRS in federal district court this week. The suit challenged a move by the IRS that made it easier for dark money groups to hide their donors from disclosure.
  • OREGON Gov. Kate BROWN signed bills into law requiring campaign ads to say who paid for them and making political organizations identify their largest donors.
• Voting rights
  • OREGON Gov. Kate BROWN signed SB861 which requires the state to cover the cost of return-postage for all mail-in ballots.
• Equal pay
  • ILLINOIS Gov. JB PRITZKER signed legislation prohibiting employers in the state from asking job applicants about their salary history.
• LGBTQ rights
  • NORTH CAROLINA Gov. Roy COOPER signed an executive order directing that no state taxpayer dollars can be used for conversion therapy for minors.
• Health care
  • COLORADO Gov. Jared POLIS announced that the reinsurance waiver for the state was approved by the federal government. The program is estimated to decrease premium rates by an average of 18%.
• Criminal justice reform
  • NEW YORK Gov. Andrew CUOMO signed legislation decriminalizing marijuana use in the state.
  • ILLINOIS Gov. JB PRITZKER signed a bill that will allow individuals with a criminal record to find jobs in the health care industry that they were previously prevented from holding.

Name that governor:
This governor’s childhood hometown was named after his or her ancestor…
Think you know? Shoot me your answer at amestoy@dga.net.
Meanwhile, last week….
Bueller? Bueller?
MAINE Gov. Janet MILLS was the answer to this question: This governor spent a year abroad in Paris during college…
Have a great week!