Impact2020: April 17, 2020
Welcome to your Impact2020 briefing for Friday, April 17. A growing number of governors are beginning to take aggressive moves toward re-opening their states in the near future, but some politicians are still taking a more measured approach. And Milwaukee’s Democratic convention faces another setback.
On the Ground
Going their own way
As Americans wrap up yet another week of quarantine, the chorus of Republicans in Washington and around the country calling for the economy to reopen is growing.
But in the swing state of Florida, there are two notable exceptions: Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio. The Miami Herald’s Alex Daugherty reports that the duo “say widespread coronavirus testing must be in place before shuttered businesses can reopen.”
Scott released a 60-day “Get Back to Work,” while Rubio said “increased testing, contact tracing, certain social distancing measures and antiviral treatments to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms must be in place before the economy can reopen,” Daughery notes.
Meanwhile, the state’s GOP governor is in hot water for a lack of transparency during the pandemic. The Herald’s David Smiley writes that Ron Desantis’ administration “often has been unwilling or unable to provide crucial information about its coronavirus response — and at times has actively tried to shield critical details about the depths of the crisis from becoming public.”
Grand reopening
DeSantis’ fellow governors are beginning to formulate their plans to restart their states’ economies.
Another regional partnership has formed between the governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin to coordinate plans to ease restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus, Alex Acquisto reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he wants to start reopening the state on May 1, Laura Johnston writes for Cleveland.com. Similarly, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she hopes to relax some of her stay-at-home order on May 1, the Detroit Free Press’ Paul Egan notes. But Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers extended the state’s stay-at-home order until May 26, Mitchell Schmidt reports for the Wisconsin State Journal.
In Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson extended his order banning gatherings of 10 or more people until May 3, but plans to reopen the state after that, Jason Hancock reports for the Kansas City Star.
In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster announced plans to create a new task force to get the state’s economy “humming” by the end of June, Maayan Schechter and Joseph Bustos report for The State.
Credit: Jeff Blake, The State
And in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said the state will need help from the federal government to expand COVID-19 testing before it is able to reopen, Steve Wiseman and Brian Murphy report for the Charlotte Observer.
Convention watch
Yet another sign of trouble for the Democratic National Convention: the host committee is slashing its total staff from 31 to 14.
“Eleven staffers have been offered positions with either the 2020 Democratic National Convention Committee or as organizers for the party,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Daniel Bice reports. “Six host committee employees have been laid off.”
Raquel Filmanowicz, the CEO of the host committee, said her team “remains steadfast” in its commitment to hold the convention in Milwaukee this August.
As for the Republican convention, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she didn’t have an answer on her city’s ability to host the event in late August, Alison Kuznitz writes for the Charlotte Observer.
Trail Mix
Swing state watch
After losing his re-election bid, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly signaled he would participate in a case over who should remain on the state’s voter rolls after previously stepping away from the lawsuit, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Patrick Marley reports.
A panel of federal judges denied Republicans’ bid to halt Michigan’s independent redistricting commission, Riley Beggin reports for Bridge Magazine.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Chris Brennan and Julia Terruso look at how Bernie Sanders is staying active in Pennsylvania politics despite ending his presidential campaign.
Election disruption
“More Georgia voters are planning to vote by mail than ever before, with 395,000 people having requested absentee ballots so far for the June 9 primary,” Mark Niesse reports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Battle for Congress
Two new polls are painting two very different pictures of the state of North Carolina’s Senate race. The Charlotte Observer’s Jim Morrill breaks down the numbers.
Veepstakes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Stephen Deere notes that Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ national profile is on the rise.
Number of the Day
17%
That’s how many voters who supported Sanders in the Democratic primary who said they would not back Joe Biden in the general election against President Donald Trump, according to a new national survey from Pew Research Center.
For Planning Purposes
April 17
Absentee ballots are due for the Wyoming primary. Results will be reported Sunday.
Biden participates in a virtual fundraiser.
April 28
Ohio primary (almost entirely by mail)
May 2
Kansas primary (done by mail)
“What is this election?!”
Chris Hayes reminds us what we’ve been through in politics this year and it sounds pretty bananas. But when he tells Late Night with Seth Meyers about his nightmare scenario for 2020 -- WOW.
LISTEN
McClatchy’s Beyond the Bubble podcast team has a new episode called “The veepstakes cometh” Download it on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts
You can get the latest 2020 presidential campaign news from David Catanese via text. Impact2020 subscribers, sign up here.
Want to see election news in your inbox every weekday? Sign up here for the rundown from McClatchy’s 30 newsrooms and other local journalists.