Govs On Deck – March 23, 2020

Good Monday afternoon and welcome to today’s edition of “Govs on Deck.” Yup, you read that right – we’re still daily.
Questions or suggestions? Send me a note at amestoy@dga.net. You can find us all on Twitter too – @A_Tall_Turner, @CEAmestoy, @JerusalemDemsas, and @andersonkayjay.
A different sort of week:
Because of the quickly evolving situation, we are changing this newsletter to become a daily roundup of how our states are responding to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Every day this week, we will send an overview of the actions our governors have taken the day before. We want this to be helpful, so let me know what other info/what other formats you’d like to see for these updates.
Dem Govs Get It Done: 
NOTE: This is an overview of recent actions, not a comprehensive roundup of everything our incredible governors are doing. Want more examples? Send me an email and I can help you track down answers. 
Stay home orders:

• CONNECTICUT Gov. Ned LAMONT issued an executive order directing all non-essential businesses and not-for-profit entities to prohibit all in-person functions if they are able to, effective Monday, March 23, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. 
• DELAWARE Gov. John CARNEY  issued two modifications to his State of Emergency declaration, ordering Delawareans to stay at home whenever possible and closing all non-essential businesses in Delaware.
• ILLINOIS Gov. JB PRITZKER signed a statewide stay at home order. The order also orders all local government units across the state to halt all evictions and bans gatherings of more than 10 people. 
• LOUISIANA Gov. John Bel EDWARDS  issued a statewide stay at home order that goes into effect at 5 p.m. Monday, March 23rd.
• MICHIGAN Gov. Gretchen WHITMER signed a stay at home order directing all non-critical businesses to temporarily close, all Michiganders to stay home or six feet away from others.
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY issued a stay at home order and closure of all non-essential retail. 
• NEW YORK Gov. Andrew CUOMO signed a stay at home order directing all non-essential businesses to close in-office functions and temporarily bans all non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason.

Presidential Major Disaster Declaration:

• CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin NEWSOM announced that President Trump has approved California’s request for a presidential Major Disaster Declaration to bolster COVID-19 emergency response efforts.
• WASHINGTON Gov. Jay INSLEE announced that President Trump has approved Washington’s request for a presidential Major Disaster Declaration to bolster COVID-19 emergency response efforts.

Small Business Administration request:

• Applications by HAWAII, KENTUCKY, WISCONSIN for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans were approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration.   

Business operations:

• COLORADO Gov. Jared POLIS signed an executive order directing all of Colorado’s non-critical employers to reduce their in-person workforce by 50 percent.
• KENTUCKY Gov. Andy BESHEAR ordered all non-essential retailers in the state to close. 
• MICHIGAN Gov. Gretchen WHITMER ordered all facilities that provide non-essential personal care services to temporarily close.
• NEVADA Gov. Steve SISOLAK ordered all non-essential businesses to close. 
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY signed legislation that authorizes the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to make grants during a state of emergency or a public health emergency.
• RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina RAIMONDO signed an executive order directing all recreational and entertainment businesses to close until further notice.

Public gatherings:

• COLORADO’s Department of Public Health and Environment amended its statewide public health order on social distancing to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people.
• DELAWARE Gov. John CARNEY issued orders to close the state’s beaches. 
• ILLINOIS Gov. JB PRITZKER’s stay at home order also bans gatherings of more than 10 people. 

Elections:

• CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin NEWSOM signed an executive order permitting vote-by-mail procedures to be used in three upcoming special elections.
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY signed legislation providing county clerks with an additional week to mail ballots for 2020 primary election.

Schools:

• KENTUCKY Gov. Andy BESHEAR extended school closures until at least April 20th. 
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY signed legislation requiring school districts to provide school meals or meal vouchers to students eligible for free and reduced price school meals during school closures due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
• WISCONSIN Gov. Tony EVERS directed the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to suspend administrative rules relating to hours of instruction, student teacher assessments, and general flexibility.

Health care:

• CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin NEWSOM signed an executive order giving the state the ability to increase the health care capacity in clinics, mobile health care units and adult day health care facilities. It also allows local governments more flexibility to utilize the skills of retired employees and reinforces the importance of the delivery of food, medicine and emergency supplies.
• CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin NEWSOM directed more than $42 million in emergency funding to expand California’s health care infrastructure and secure equipment and services.
• CONNECTICUT Gov. Ned LAMONT signed an executive order modifying requirements, copayments for DSS benefits as well as lifts limitations on some prescription refills.
• KANSAS Gov. Laura KELLY signed two executive orders expanding capacity in the health care system, including lifting some restrictions on telemedicine services. 
• KENTUCKY Gov. Andy BESHEAR ordered all elective medical procedures to be halted.
• MICHIGAN Gov. Gretchen WHITMER signed an executive order implementing temporary restrictions on non-essential medical and dental procedures.
• MINNESOTA Gov. Tim WALZ and MNsure announced a 30-day special enrollment period for qualified uninsured individuals.
• MINNESOTA Gov. Tim WALZ signed an executive order directing DHS to temporarily issue waivers or modifications to state requirements to ensure that their services, like health care coverage programs,  can be delivered safely and without undue delay. 
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY announced departmental actions to ensure New Jerseyans have access to telehealth and tele-mental health services to the greatest extent possible.
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY signed legislation requiring health insurance and Medicaid coverage for testing of coronavirus disease 2019 and for telemedicine and telehealth.
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY required all hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers to waive patient fees for testing and related diagnostic services for those who lack health insurance. 
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY signed legislation authorizing all licensed health care facilities and laboratories to collect specimens to test for COVID-19.
• NEW MEXICO’s Medicaid Program is now requiring managed care organizations to reimburse doctors, behavioral health providers and other health care professionals for telephone and video patient visits.
• NEW YORK Gov. Andrew CUOMO accepted the recommendation of the Army Corps of Engineers for four temporary hospital sites in an effort to address imminent capacity issues. 

Child care:

• MINNESOTA Gov. Tim WALZ announced a partnership with YMCA to care for the school-age children of emergency workers.
• NORTH CAROLINA Gov. Roy COOPER signed an executive order waiving restrictions to increase access to caregivers to provide flexible child care and elder care during the coronavirus emergency. 

Worker support:

• COLORADO Gov. Jared POLIS directed the state’s Department of Labor and Employment’s Unemployment Insurance Division to expedite claim payments during this state of emergency. 
• COLORADO Gov. Jared POLIS announced the extension of the income tax payment deadline for all Colorado taxpayers until July 15, 2020, without penalty or interest.
• CONNECTICUT is extending filing and payment deadlines for personal income tax returns to July 15, 2020.
• HAWAII Gov. David IGE announced state actions to address unemployment claims filing problems.
• HAWAII Gov. David IGE announced the launch of the Reducing Unemployment Disruption & Driving Economic Regeneration (RUDDER) program – an economic regeneration initiative that provides State Employment & Training Funds to efficiently train and transfer labor into Hawaiʻi’s businesses.
• KENTUCKY’s Education and Workforce Development Cabinet is implementing new unemployment insurance filing procedures and starting new local office phone lines for customers.
• KENTUCKY Gov. Andy BESHEAR delayed the state tax filing deadline until July 15th. 
• MONTANA Gov. Steve BULLOCk extended the state tax filing deadline to July 15th. 
• NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY signed legislation prohibiting an employer from terminating or refusing to reinstate an employee who has, or is likely to have, an infectious disease which requires the employee to miss time at work. 
• NORTH CAROLINA Gov. Roy COOPER delayed the state tax filing deadline until July 15th. 

Response teams:

• NEVADA Gov. Steve SISOLAK announced that former MGM Resort CEO Jim Murren will lead the state’s new Response Relief & Recovery Task Force which will work to coordinate public and private sector efforts to gather medical supplies from across the state.
• WASHINGTON Gov. Jay INSLEE named retired Navy Vice Admiral Raquel C. Bono as Washington state director for COVID-19 Health System Response Management.

Other efforts:

• CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin NEWSOM deployed the California National Guard members to provide short-term food security to isolated and vulnerable Californians.
• COLORADO Gov. Jared POLIS announced state efforts to provide relief from evictions, foreclosures, and utility shut-offs. 
• CONNECTICUT launched a framework for the donation of Personal Protective Equipment.
• DELAWARE Gov. John CARNEY announced a partnership with Dogfish Head for the distillery to produce hand sanitizer.
• HAWAII Gov. David IGE ordered a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all individuals arriving or returning to the state. 
• ILLINOIS Gov. JB PRITZKER’s stay at home order also directs all local government units across the state to halt all evictions.
• KENTUCKY Gov. Andy BESHEAR extended the prohibitions on price gouging 15 more days. His original order was signed on March 7th. 
• MAINE Gov. Janet MILLS directed the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to open all inland waters for fishing and to waive the requirement that anglers need a recreational fishing license to fish. 
• MICHIGAN Gov. Gretchen WHITMER signed an executive order temporarily suspending evictions. 
• MINNESOTA Gov. Tim WALZ signed an executive order prohibiting price gouging.
• NEW JERSEY launched a new website to provide New Jerseyans with the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the State’s response.
• NORTH CAROLINA Gov. Roy COOPER signed an executive order allowing the DMV offices to enact social distancing protections, and waives some registration requirements to ensure resources can be delivered by truck throughout the state.
• OREGON Gov. Kate BROWN issued an executive order placing a temporary moratorium on residential evictions for nonpayment.
• RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina RAIMONDO activated the state’s National Guard. 
• VIRGINIA Gov. Ralph NORTHAM activated the state’s National Guard.
• VIRGINIA Gov. Ralph NORTHAM directed the Virginia State Police to suspend citing drivers for expired motor vehicle safety inspections stickers for 60 days.
• WISCONSIN Gov. Tony EVERS signed an executive order suspending several utility-related administrative rules to protect customers from utility disconnection.

Stay safe everyone and wash your hands!