Govs On Deck – January 25, 2021

Well, it’s Monday. Welcome to today’s edition of “Govs on Deck!” As a reminder, your favorite newsletter comes out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 

As always, questions or suggestions? Send me a note at amestoy@dga.net. You can find us all on Twitter too – @A_Tall_Turner, @CEAmestoy, and @andersonkayjay.

We want this to be helpful, so let us 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.

COVID-19 response:

Vaccine distribution:

• NEW YORK Gov. Andrew CUOMO announced that New York is expanding its deployment of community vaccination kits to further strengthen fairness and equity in the vaccine distribution process. Last week, New York successfully piloted the deployment kits to five NYCHA senior housing developments and eight churches and cultural centers where nearly 4,200 seniors and eligible New Yorkers received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Kits are now being redeployed to four additional NYCHA sites and eight other churches to further build on that progress. 
• NORTH CAROLINA Gov. Roy COOPER visited a large-scale vaccine site at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Friday Conference Center to witness health care workers and North Carolinians over age 65 receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Reopening efforts:

• ILLINOIS’ Department of Public Health announced Region 1 and Region 2 are moving to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan.

Beyond COVID-19 

Health care:

• NEW JERSEY First Lady Tammy MURPHY unveiled the Nurture NJ Maternal and Infant Health Plan – a strategy to reduce New Jersey’s high rates of maternal and infant mortality and eliminate the racial disparities responsible for these deaths. The strategic plan is the latest element of the First Lady’s Nurture NJ initiative, which aims to make New Jersey the safest and most equitable place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby. 
• NEW MEXICO Gov. Michelle LUJAN GRISHAM announced the introduction of legislation that establishes a new fund that will reduce the cost of health insurance and medical expenses for tens of thousands of working New Mexico families. The legislation creates the Health Care Affordability Fund, which will be financed by replacing a recently phased-out federal fee on insurance companies with a state version by updating New Mexico’s existing surtax on insurance companies from 1 percent to 3.75 percent. These are fees that insurance companies paid the federal government for many years and will generate about $160 million in new revenue for the state annually.
• NORTH CAROLINA’s Council on Health Care Coverage held its last meeting to finalize principles to help guide Gov. Roy COOPER and legislative leaders as they consider options to increase affordable and comprehensive health coverage for North Carolinians. 

Education:

• DELAWARE Gov. John CARNEY announced the launch of the Governor’s Institute for School Leadership, a two-pronged training program for aspiring school leaders and current district leaders.

Clean energy:

• MAINE Gov. Janet MILLS proposed a series of actions to advance the nation’s first floating offshore wind research array in federal waters and to protect Maine’s more heavily fished state waters.
• NEW YORK Gov. Andrew CUOMO announced the launch of a new large-scale renewable energy procurement program, known as Competitive Tier 2, which will retain New York’s existing renewable energy resources, promote lower statewide carbon emissions, and help support the state’s economic recovery by increasing in-state competition and reducing energy costs. 

Workforce development:

• CONNECTICUT Gov. Ned LAMONT announced that he plans to introduce legislation during the 2021 regular session of the Connecticut General Assembly that focuses on building a robust workforce in Connecticut by developing and investing in short-term training programs, increasing access to postsecondary education, enhancing workforce data collection efforts, and codifying a new state office focused on workforce development.

Economic development:

• KANSAS Gov. Laura KELLY announced her intent to submit an Executive Reorganization Order to the Kansas Legislature relocating the State’s Tourism Division to the Kansas Department of Commerce. The move comes as the result of input from businesses, destination marketing organizations and other key industry partners, including the Travel Industry Association of Kansas, The Kansas Restaurant & Hospitality Association, and the Kansas Economic Development Alliance, to consolidate Kansas’ tourism efforts primarily as an economic development tool.
• PENNSYLVANIA Gov. Tom WOLF announced that Nations Photo Lab, an affiliate of Gallery Blocks LLC has relocated its headquarters to Springettsbury Township, York County. The relocation will create 125 new, full-time jobs in the Susquehanna Valley.
• VIRGINIA Gov. Ralph NORTHAM announced that Tabet Manufacturing Company, Inc. will invest $6.5 million to expand its operation in the City of Norfolk. The company will construct a new manufacturing facility adjacent to its current facility at 1336 Ballentine Boulevard to increase production capacity and will create 68 new jobs. 

Infrastructure:

• NEW YORK Gov. Andrew CUOMO announced the availability of $200 million in BRIDGE NY funding for local governments to make their infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather events. The new funding will allow localities to rehabilitate and replace bridges and culverts statewide. It builds upon $500 million previously awarded to 143 local governments since 2016 for the rehabilitation and replacement of 298 bridges and culverts.

Other efforts:

• ILLINOIS’ Criminal Justice Information Authority, using revenue from adult-use cannabis sales, announced 80 grants totaling $31.5 million to organizations to help the communities hardest hit by the failed war on drugs. The organizations’ work includes violence prevention, legal aid, and re-entry services. The grants are part of the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Program, which was created as a key equity element of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, signed by Gov. JB PRITZKER in 2019. 
• KANSAS Gov. Laura KELLY released statement in response to the Kansas House of Representatives’ passage of an amendment to the Kansas Constitution to reverse the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision that abortion is a constitutional right under the state.
• WISCONSIN Gov. Tony EVERS announced that his administration is preparing to take legal action against companies responsible for PFAS contamination in Wisconsin. 

Stay safe. wear a mask, and wash your hands. See you on Wednesday!