Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a statewide stay-at-home order that’s effective immediately and will remain in place until June 10, unless the governor rescinds it, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
Cuomo’s Favorability Soars
A new Siena College poll in New York finds Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s favorability rating has soared to 71%, up 27 points in just a month to its highest level since early 2013.
That’s driven entirely by his response to COVID-19, where a stunning 87% of the public approves of his handling of the situation. His support is so broad that even 70% of Republicans approve of his work on the virus.
Michigan Lawmaker Dies from Coronavirus
Michigan State Rep. Isaac Robinson (D) died Sunday morning from a suspected coronavirus infection, hours after being transported to the hospital for breathing problems, Crain’s Detroit Business reports.
Cuomo Threatens to Sue Rhode Island
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) told CNN that if Rhode Island does not roll back its new policy of stopping vehicles with New York license plates and collecting information about New Yorkers who have entered the Ocean State, he would sue.
Cuomo Says Federal Quarantine Would Be Act of ‘War’
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNN that he didn’t believe a possible New York quarantine was legal and that it would be a “federal declaration of war” after President Trump said he was considering such a tactic for the New York metro area coronavirus cases increase.
Said Cuomo: “It would be chaos and mayhem. It’s totally opposite everything he’s been saying. I don’t think it is plausible. I don’t think it is legal.”
He added: “This would be a federal declaration of war on states.”
Fed Considering Supports for State Governments
“Federal Reserve officials are reviewing new ways to support financing for state and local governments, many of which are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and will face huge borrowing needs as revenues plunge,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The economic-rescue legislation Congress approved this week asks the Fed to charge headlong into areas it has long considered taboo—supporting lending to businesses, cities and states. The Fed traditionally avoided intervening directly in credit and fiscal policy, preferring to leave such matters to Congress and the White House.”
Longest Serving Lawmaker Calls It Quits After 64 Years
Wisconsin state Sen. Fred Risser (D), the longest-serving lawmaker in the nation’s history, announced he will retire after the end of his term, the Madison State Journal reports.
“Risser, 92, is also the last World War II veteran remaining in either the state or nation’s legislatures. His time in the Legislature since being elected to the Assembly in 1956 and the Senate in 1962 has spanned 13 different governors, and he says he never missed a legislative roll call.”
Whitmer Suggests Trump Is Blocking Medical Supplies
“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) suggested Friday that a growing rift with the White House is affecting shipments of medical supplies to Michigan amid exponential growth in confirmed coronavirus cases,” Crain’s Detroit Business reports.
Said Whitmer: “When the federal government told us that we needed to go it ourselves, we started procuring every item we could get our hands on. What I’ve gotten back is that vendors with whom we had contracts are now being told not to send stuff here to Michigan.”
“Whitmer didn’t say who has told vendors to stop sending medical supplies to the state, but strongly implied the order came from President Trump’s administration.”
Greg Sargent has the backstory.
Alabama Won’t Issue Shelter-In-Place Order
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she had no plans to issue a stay at home or shelter-in-place order any time soon, the Montgomery Advertiser reports.
Said Ivey: “Y’all, we are not Louisiana, we are not New York State, we are not California. Right now is not the time to order people to shelter in place.”
Biden Says Florida Governor Isn’t Doing Enough
Joe Biden is calling on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to take more action to combat the coronavirus spread in the state amid scrutiny over the governor’s response to the crisis, The Hill reports.
Said Biden: “While other large states continue to take strong, urgent, and sweeping action to stop the spread of COVID-19, Florida has not. I urge Governor DeSantis to let the experts speak to the public and explain why this is the case.”
‘The Dumbest Shit I’ve Heard In a Long Time’
“While New York, California and other states shutter their economies to keep the coronavirus at bay, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is refusing to follow the herd,” Politico reports.
“His cure-can’t-be-worse-than-the-disease approach has put the Republican governor under a glaring spotlight locally and nationally as cases of the virus in Florida surge past 1,400. It’s a philosophy that aligns DeSantis with other conservatives, including President Donald Trump and Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva, a Republican with a strong libertarian bent.”
Said state Sen. Oscar Brayon (D): “That is the dumbest shit I have heard in a long time. This is a day-by-day crisis. Italy damn near saw 1,000 people die in one day, and there are people proclaiming we got this and have it solved in 15 days?”
Newsom Orders All Californians to Stay Home
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an immediate order for all Californians to stay home to help stop an anticipated surge in coronavirus cases, CBS San Francisco reports.
All Georgia Lawmakers Asked to Self-Quarantine
“All of Georgia’s state lawmakers were urged Wednesday to self-isolate themselves for weeks after a state senator who participated in a Monday vote disclosed he tested positive for the disease caused by coronavirus,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
“State Sen. Brandon Beach (R) said he was screened for the disease Saturday when he sought medical attention for a cough and mild fever, but that the test results didn’t arrive until Wednesday. In between, the Alpharetta Republican said he felt healthy enough to join dozens of legislators, staff members and reporters for a one-day special legislative session at the Capitol to grant Gov. Brian Kemp broad powers to respond to the pandemic.”
Trump Tells Governors to Get Own Medical Equipment
“President Trump told a group of governors Monday morning that they should not wait for the federal government to fill the growing demand for respirators needed to help people diagnosed with coronavirus,” the New York Times reports.
Said Trump: “Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves… We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself.”
“The suggestion surprised some of the governors, who have been scrambling to contain the outbreak and are increasingly looking to the federal government for help with equipment, personnel and financial aid.”
Georgia Governor Cancels an Election
“It’s a startlingly bold move, the legality of which is now being challenged in court: Gov. Brian Kemp (R), already an enemy of voting rights groups nationwide, has canceled an election and says he’ll fill a seat on the Georgia Supreme Court all by himself,” The Fulcrum reports.
Trump Sours on DeSantis
“The close relationship between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Trump is souring, and the bad blood is threatening to spill into the president’s reelection effort in the nation’s biggest swing state,” Politico reports.
“DeSantis was a Trump loyalist when the president helped propel the two-term Republican congressman into the governor’s mansion in 2018. But Trump’s Republican allies in Florida now are spreading the word — behind the governor’s back — that DeSantis isn’t doing enough to repay the political debt.”
Appeals Court Blocks Wisconsin Voter Purge
“A Wisconsin appeals court Friday struck down an Ozaukee County judge’s ruling that thousands of people had to be quickly removed from the state’s voter rolls because they are believed to have moved,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“The appeals decision affects more than 200,000 voters who were targeted to be taken off the rolls in one of the most closely watched states for this year’s presidential election.”
Oregon GOP Senators Flee State Capitol
For the second consecutive legislative session, Oregon Senate Republicans have walked out of the Capitol to block passage of a greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade bill, the Statesman Journal reports.
“Democrats hold a supermajority of 18 members, but a walkout denies the Senate a two-thirds quorum of 20 needed to conduct any business on the floor. Senate Republicans deployed this tactic twice during the 2019 session — first in protest of a multibillion dollar education revenue package and then against House Bill 2020, the previous cap-and-trade bill.”
“The biggest difference between this session and 2019 is that the bill has enough support to pass the full Senate.”
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