Govs On Deck – July 9, 2019

Good Tuesday morning – I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th and no one in DC floated away yesterday. 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.
Coming up this week:

• In MINNESOTA, Gov. Tim WALZ continues to call on state senate Republicans to find a compromise on an emergency insulin program. The governor has said he’ll call a special session if a deal is close.
• Budget negotiations continue this week in NORTH CAROLINA  where the Republican-led House delayed a vote to attempt to override Gov. Roy COOPER’s veto of the GOP’s state budget bill. A key committee has taken up a Republican bill that would effectively expand Medicaid in NORTH CAROLINA. Medicaid expansion and public school funding has been at the center of a budget impasse with Gov. Roy COOPER and Democratic legislators pushing for expansion and better education funding. Gov. COOPER today offered a compromise proposal to resolve the impasse.
• In VIRGINIA, the state legislature is scheduled to assemble today for a special session to take up gun reform measures. Gov. Ralph NORTHAM called the session last month after the Virginia Beach shooting which killed 12 people.

2020 topic of the week: Equal Pay
Dem govs get it done. U.S. women’s national soccer team rules the world. 
It’s 2019 and the gender wage gap is alive and well. And, thanks in part to the USWNT and their class-action lawsuit demanding equal pay (based on outcomes, they should get paid more, honestly), the topic of equal pay has been making news. So what have our Dem govs been doing to help close the wage gap? So glad you asked – here are some examples:

• COLORADO Gov. Jared POLIS signed the 2019 Equal Pay Act which bans salary history inquiries and allows employees to take employers to court if they are being underpaid.
• MAINE Gov. Janet MILLS signed legislation that bans the use of salary history in hiring
• MICHIGAN Gov. Gretchen WHITMER signed an executive directive banning state departments and agencies from asking about a job applicant’s salary before an employment offer is made.
• NEVADA Gov. Steve SISOLAK signed SB 166 which adds gender-based equal pay protections to state law and creates civil penalties for violations of the law. The governor cited this as one of the reasons why the USWNT should visit the NV Governor’s Mansion.
• NORTH CAROLINA Gov. Roy COOPER signed an executive order directing state government agencies to ban the use of salary history in the hiring process.
• OREGON Gov. Kate BROWN signed the state’s Equal Pay Act into law in 2017. The act, which extends equity protections to more protected classes and bans salary history inquiries during hiring, went into effect this year.
• WASHINGTON Gov. Jay INSLEE signed legislation revising the state’s Equal Pay Act to prohibit salary history inquiries and compel more transparency in wage scales for open positions.

Some news from this past week:

• Education:
  • MINNESOTA Gov. Tony EVERS added an additional $87 million to state schools in part of a series of budget vetoes made last week.
  • MICHIGAN Gov. Gretchen WHITMER unveiled the “Going PRO in Michigan” campaign aimed at encouraging more students to pursue trades careers to help close the state’s skills gap. 
• Agriculture:
  • MICHIGAN Gov. Gretchen WHITMER signed a bill that will provide funding for the qualified agricultural loan origination program to assist farmers during one of the wettest years on record.
• Health care:
  • CONNECTICUT Gov. Ned LAMONT signed HB7125 which requires insurers to cover mental health and substance disorder treatment at the same level as physical health.
  • NEW JERSEY Gov. Phil MURPHY signed two bills that will protect health and retirement security for the state’s first responders, including those who volunteered for 9/11 rescue, recovery, and clean-up efforts at the World Trade Center sites.
• Affordable housing:
  • HAWAI’I Gov. David IGE signed HB1312 which dedicates millions of dollars to the state’s ongoing efforts to create more affordable housing.

Name that governor:
This governor met their significant other in kindergarten class…
Think you know? Shoot me your answer at amestoy@dga.net.
Last week’s winner is Zach Cohen (National Journal) who correctly identified Gov. Michelle LUJAN GRISHAM as the answer to this question:
This governor appeared on rollerblades in a campaign ad…
You can check out the campaign ad here.
Have a great week!