GovWin SLED Coronavirus Recon

General

• Governor Says Alaska Ready To Move Into Next Phase Of Reopening Economy
  • Gov. Mike Dunleavy believes Alaska is ready for the next phase of reopening the state’s economy from shutdowns related to the novel coronavirus.
• Pandemic a 'test-run' for city resiliency, says Philadelphia's smart-city director
  • Philadelphia smart city director Emily Yates said the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to measure how resilient cities are and gauge their readiness for future crises.
• As economies reopen, demands on state IT begin to flatten
  • As the number of daily reported cases of COVID-19 begins to decline nationally, so too do the number of new projects state technology officials are called on to implement.
• Designer of Florida's COVID-19 dashboard says she was removed for not censoring data
  • The designer and manager of Florida’s data dashboard tracking the spread of COVID-19 said she was removed from her position earlier this month after refusing to manually alter data in order to drive support for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to reopen the state’s economy.
• ‘Hard stop’: States could lose National Guard virus workers
  • More than 40,000 National Guard members currently helping states test residents for the coronavirus and trace the spread of infections will face a “hard stop” on their deployments on June 24 — just one day shy of many members becoming eligible for key federal benefits, according to a senior FEMA official.

Funding & Economic Impact 

• (West Virginia) Charleston faces multi-million dollar budget crisis from COVID-19
  • The city entered the 2019 fiscal year with a surplus of about $4.6 million but now stand at a deficit of roughly $2 million, which is basically a $3 million hit as they were anticipating at least an extra $1 million by June.
• SC Gov. McMaster signs deal to keep government open, boost COVID-19 testing by $25M
  • Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday signed a more than $155 million COVID-19 relief package that will help provide statewide virus testing and keep South Carolina’s government operating until lawmakers adopt a new budget in the fall.
• (Nebraska) Virus will force belt-tightening in Nebraska budget
  • Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is warning that the coronavirus pandemic will likely lead to state budget cuts and force lawmakers to water down two of his biggest priorities, including a property tax bill for farmers and homeowners and a new business incentive package.
• ’Deteriorating economic outlook’ predicts $6 billion Massachusetts state budget shortfall
  • Soaring unemployment and the expectation among public health experts that a second wave of the coronavirus could land in the fall has prompted a leading Beacon Hill watchdog group to revise its tax revenue forecast for next year, now predicting the state could collect $6 billion less than anticipated just five months ago.
• Alabama governor signs general fund budget, coronavirus relief spending bill
  • Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Monday signed the General Fund budget, the Education Trust Fund and the PSCA bond bill after the Legislature approved her executive amendment on a spending bill to broadly detail how the state's $1.8 billion in COVID-19 relief funds should be used.
• (Colorado) Polis allocates 1.6B in federal funding to support state's COVID-19 response
  • Gov. Jared Polis' office announced $1.674 billion in federal funds from the CARES Act will immediately support Colorado’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Of that $1.67 billion, nearly $1 billion will be split between K-12 & higher education, $275 million will go to local governments that didn't get CARES Act funds directly and $70 million will go into a general fund for lawmakers to handle.
• (Oregon) State provides $8.5 million for rent relief
  • Emergency relief funds were allocated from Oregon Housing and Community Services by the Oregon Legislature through the Rental Relief program. The funding will assist renters financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are to be disbursed as soon as possible for residents that qualify.
• Top execs from Netflix, Disney, Salesforce and more call on Congress to provide $1 trillion in coronavirus relief to local governments
  • Top business leaders in California are urging Congress to approve an additional $1 trillion in spending to head off massive budget cuts facing all state and local governments due to Covid-19.
• Utah receives $87 million from feds for COVID-19 testing
  • The Beehive State will receive $87.4 million from the federal government to expand its COVID-19 testing capacity.
• The coronavirus blew a $650 million hole in Kansas' budget, putting even school funding in jeopardy
  • The virus has caused thousands of businesses across Kansas to close and more than 200,000 people to file for unemployment. Tax revenues started falling off a cliff — income taxes are expected to be down more than 15% and sales taxes by 4% — and there’s now an estimated $650 million budget deficit for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
• Nevada lawmakers transfer $401 million of ‘Rainy Day’ funds in party-line vote
• (Florida) COVID Crunch Hits Local Cities’ Budgets
  • Cities feeling the budget crunch from COVID-19 shutdowns are looking for savings by cutting what is often their biggest expense area: salaries.
• Analysis: Mississippi to Mull Many Requests for Relief Cash
  • Mississippi lawmakers and Gov. Tate Reeves still have to make big decisions about spending most of the $1.25 billion that the federal government is sending the state for coronavirus relief.
• (California) Gov. Newsom pleas for federal aid, warns first responders could be among 'first ones' laid off under budget cuts
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom has a stark message for Republican lawmakers -- if the federal government doesn't give financial aid to California, they'll only be punishing first responders.
• (Iowa) Uncertainty surrounds state budget as COVID-19 continues to do financial damage
  • As the state slowly reopens and moves into a recovery phase, the Iowa legislature is going to have to completely redo the budget to accommodate for the fallout from two months unemployment and business closings.

Procurement

• Cooperative contracts help Denver stay ahead of the pandemic curve
  • Lance Jay, Chief Procurement Officer at the City and County of Denver in Colorado, says local governments are facing market and workforce challenges in COVID-19. “Goods and services are not readily available, and as a city we are seeing price inflation as demand across the globe far exceeds the supply.” Jay explains that cooperative procurement contracts have helped his procurement team efficiently leverage its limited available time.

Higher Education

• California community college chancellor endorses going online-only this fall
  • The chancellor of California’s largest college system today said he believes online instruction will be the best course of action this fall.
• Future approach to higher education in Ohio remains uncertain; won't be a 'one size fits all'
  • The chancellor stresses safety is the top priority and the approach moving forward will reflect the diversity of institutions and won't be one size fits all.
  • The chancellor also stated Ohio law does not allow for any tuition increases other than those allowed under the state budget passed last summer and Ohio's Tuition Guarantee Program. He says there's no discussion of new tuition authority for state colleges and universities.
• (Colorado) Polis allocates 1.6B in federal funding to support state's COVID-19 response
  • Of $1.67 billion in CARES Act funding, nearly $1 billion will be split between K-12 & higher education, $275 million will go to local governments that didn't get CARES Act funds directly and $70 million will go into a general fund for lawmakers to handle.

K-12 Education

• Six urban California districts say proposed budget cuts will set back restarting school
  • Los Angeles Unified and five other urban California school districts collectively enrolling about 1 million students stated that “unrealistic” funding cuts proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in his revised budget would force them to delay reopening of schools this fall.
• As Students Face Coronavirus-Related Challenges, King Joins Bipartisan Call to Increase Investment in Public Education
  • U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a bipartisan group of 27 colleagues in urging Senate leadership to include funding for America’s schools, educators, and students in the next round of coronavirus relief funding.
• (Delaware) Governor Carney, Secretary Bunting Announce Working Groups to Plan Safe Return to School Buildings
  • Governor John Carney and Secretary of Education Susan Bunting announced a public strategy to plan for the safe reopening of Delaware school buildings.

Health Care

• Telehealth set for 'tsunami of growth,' says Frost & Sullivan
  • Telehealth is more in demand than ever during the coronavirus crisis, and a new report from Frost & Sullivan suggests its uptake will increase by 64.3% nationwide this year, given the disruptions of COVID-19.
• Staffing Nursing Homes Was Hard Before the Pandemic. Now It’s Even Tougher.
  • Many nursing homes and assisted living facilities were short-staffed before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Now it’s even harder to recruit and retain nurses needed to care for residents and stop infection from spreading.
• Medicaid Providers At The End Of The Line For Federal Coronavirus Funding
  • The majority of the money allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has gone to hospitals, doctors and other facilities that serve Medicare, not Medicaid, patients. State Medicaid directors say that without immediate funding, many of the health facilities that serve Medicaid patients could close permanently.
• Illinois getting over $286 million in federal funding to increase COVID-19 testing, conduct contact tracing
  • Federal officials announced that over $10 billion in new funding is now being delivered to states, territories and localities to bolster coronavirus testing efforts and conduct contact tracing, including over $286 million for Illinois.
• Medicaid Spending, Enrollment Exceed Projections Due To COVID-19
  • States are facing higher Medicaid spending and higher enrollment than expected in 2020 due to the coronavirus, and that impact could continue into the following year, a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey found.
• (Washington) COVID-19: Inslee issues order to restart state's health care system
  • Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday announced a plan to restart the state's health care system, which has been on the front line of the effort to contain and treat the coronavirus that has been linked to over 1,000 deaths statewide .
• Virginia to spend $58 million in federal aid to expand contact tracing of COVID-19 cases
  • Virginia is committing $58 million in federal emergency aid to expand contact tracing of people who test positive for COVID-19 to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne said he expects to approve the expenditure on Tuesday, using money provided through federal stimulus packages to help states recover from the public health and economic crises.
• Agency: US Provides $150.1M to Arizona for COVID-19 Testing
  • The federal government is providing $150.1 million of new funding to Arizona to support testing for COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.
  • The funding for Arizona is part of $10.25 billion provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to states, territories, and local jurisdictions from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, the department said in a statement.
• 29 Tennessee hospitals receive rural hospital readiness grants in response to COVID-19
  • $10 million in small and rural hospital readiness grants have been distributed to 29 Tennessee hospitals for their fight against COVID-19.
• (Pennsylvania) Gov. Wolf: Federal Funding Available for COVID-19 Testing and Treatment for Uninsured Patients
  • Governor Tom Wolf announced that through the federal stimulus bills providers of COVID-19 testing and treatment services will be able to be reimbursed for providing those services to uninsured patients.

Social Services 

• Overseas Scammers Target Washington’s Unemployment Department
• (Wisconsin) Child care centers in line for $51 million bailout, or far less than what's needed, advocates say
  • The state Department of Children and Families announced the rollout of a federally funded program to provide $51 million in assistance to a child care industry deemed essential during the pandemic

Justice/Public Safety

• New Jersey Courts May Embrace Digital Changes After Crisis
  • While many jury trials remain suspended through the end of May, other court activity has moved to the virtual world, with video conferences and phone calls replacing in-person sessions to keep pending cases moving along.

Transportation

• $36M approved for Hawaii airport public health screening system
  • State lawmakers approved hundreds of millions of federal CARES Act expenditures Friday, including $36 million for an airport public health screening system they said is needed to reopen tourism.
• New York MTA launches new ‘Essential Connector’ app to move essential workers during overnight subway closure
  • The new app pilot aims to help 11,000 essential workers plan alternative travel during MTA’s Essential Plan Night Service.
• (Indiana) IN: South Shore ridership down more than 90%, but federal aid sustains operations
  • South Shore Line ridership continues to be down more than 90% from normal during the coronavirus shutdown, but federal aid will help sustain the commuter railroad through this year and into next.
• (New York) NY: Staten Island fast ferry launch pushed to summer 2021 amid coronavirus pandemic
  • NYC Ferry’s planned expansion from St. George to Midtown West was initially slated to launch before the end of the year but will not open until summer 2021, the city’s Economic Development Corporation said.
• Video: State of the Fleet Industry Week of May 18, 2020
  • Automotive Fleet has released its latest report in the new State of the Fleet Industry weekly video series summarizing the latest news in the fleet market. Topics mentioned in the latest video includes the reopening of automotive assembly plants, the state of the wholesale used-vehicle market, and what is happening with independent used-vehicle dealers.

Community Development/Housing

• California leased 15,000 hotel rooms to help homeless people. Half now sit empty
  • Only about half of the 15,000 hotel and motel rooms that California has leased for mostly homeless people to slow the spread of the coronavirus are now occupied, a review of state records shows.