GovWin SLED Coronavirus Recon

General

• Three States Renew COVID-19 Contracts, Despite Slow Ramp-up
  • A collaboration between tech companies and several states got off the ground early in the pandemic using emergency contracts. As the programs enter their next phase, partners say they've worked out the kinks.
• Local government's open forums must persist during pandemic, say city leaders
  • Some local technology officials are using the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to reengage with citizens and evaluate which services should be prioritized as they seek to build “smart cities.”
• Nebraska's IT consolidation paid off during pandemic's remote workforce rush
  • Thanks to an IT consolidation that was once considered “impossible” by his peers in state government, Nebraska CIO Ed Toner said that many of his state’s agencies are positioned well to deal with a remote-work future as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread in the U.S.
• Kemp extends COVID-19 state of emergency for Georgia
  • Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp signed two executive orders extending the public health state of emergency and existing COVID-19 safety measures.
• (Tennessee) Gov. Lee Extends State of Emergency to August 29, 2020
  • Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today signed Executive Order No. 50 to extend the State of Emergency related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to August 29, 2020. The order allows the continued suspension of various laws and regulations and other measures in these orders to facilitate the treatment and containment of COVID-19 through regulatory flexibility, promoting social distancing and avoidance of large gatherings, and protecting vulnerable populations.
• Masks Will Be Required Throughout All Of Kansas In Public, Gov. Kelly Orders
  • Gov. Laura Kelly has ordered that every person in Kansas must wear a mask in public spaces starting July 3. The order includes not only indoor public spaces, but also outdoor public spaces where six feet of social distancing cannot be maintained. 

Funding & Economic Impact

• Illinois State Workers Receive $1,300 Pay Raises July 1
  • State workers represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 will see pay increases averaging $1,343 starting July 1. Total cost of the raises is $261 million as COVID-19 continues depleting state revenues.
• (New York) NYC to shift $1 billion from NYPD to social services
  • New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he’s presented a plan to the City Council to shift about $1 billion from the police department to social programs.
• California Lawmakers Send $202 Billion COVID-Era Budget to Newsom’s Desk
  • Approved on party-line votes in both the Democratic-controlled state Senate and Assembly, the proposal was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The budget replaces education and social services funding depleted by the pandemic by pulling billions from the state’s once-healthy reserves, slashing state workers’ pay and halting business tax breaks.
• (Florida) Gov. DeSantis slashes $1 billion from state budget amid coronavirus outbreak
  • Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state’s $92.2 billion state budget after cutting $1 billion from programs for affordable housing, education and social services.
• Coalition urges Senate to provide immediate pandemic relief to state and local governments
  • A coalition of more than 170 businesses, labor unions and government associations sent a letter to U.S. Senate leadership requesting immediate financial relief for states and local governments, which now face billions in shortfalls as they finalize their budgets.
• (Michigan) Governor and lawmakers announce plan to balance state's 2020 budget
  • Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-controlled Legislature reached an agreement to balance the state 2020 budget after a sharp drop in state revenues resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
• (Georgia) Gov. Kemp lays out how funds from CARES Act will be distributed
  • Gov. Brian Kemp and state officials will be managing how money from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund will be dispersed across the state.
  • Georgia received about $4.1 billion, the governor said. Out of that money, Kemp said the U.S. Treasury provided that up to 45 percent can be transferred to local governments who qualify for it.
• (Vermont) Scott says Covid-19 bills short on business support; grant guidelines coming this week
  • Gov. Phil Scott said that Vermont businesses strained by the Covid-19 pandemic could soon be able to begin applying for $70 million worth of state aid, with guidelines for the business grants coming soon.
• (Florida) COVID-19 forces DeSantis to slash $22 million in state funding from Manatee projects
  • Funding has been denied for several Manatee County projects as part of a $1 billion adjustment to Florida’s budget due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Gov. Ron DeSantis announced sweeping cuts, reducing the state budget to $92.2 billion. Those changes came at the cost of more than $22 million in state funding for local projects.
• (Wisconsin) Municipalities brace for tough 2021 budget planning due to COVID-19 impact
  • The overall financial impact due to COVID-19 may not be known for some time, but municipalities in the Stateline Area say they are preparing for tough financial decisions to be made during budget planning for 2021.
• Nashville forms committee to oversee $121 million in COVID-19 relief funds
  • Nashville has formed an oversight committee to recommend how the city should spend its nearly $121 million COVID-19 federal stimulus.
• California Governor Gavin Newsom Signs 2020 Budget Act - Includes $85.6 Million to CAL FIRE for Firefighting Resources and Surge Capacity and $50 Million for Community Power Resiliency
  • Governor Newsome signed a $202.1 billion spending plan that strengthens emergency response, protects public health and safety, and promotes economic recovery while closing a $54.3 billion budget shortfall caused by the COVID-19 recession.
• Michigan leaders announce spending plan for $3B in federal aid
  • $648 million will go to public health departments, $512 million will go to K-12 schools, and $150 million will go to local governments. $53 million is going to hazard pay for teachers and $200 million is being given to universities and community colleges.
• (California) LA County Supervisors Approve Downsized Budget: No Department Is Spared From Cuts And Layoffs
  • 8% was carved out of funding for county departments across the board to make up for the $935 million tax revenue shortfall caused by the pandemic.
  • Some of the largest reductions include $14.6 million from Child Support Services, $49.1 million from the Probation Department, over $22 million from the District Attorney’s Office, $20.6 million from Children and Family Services, and $29 million from Integrated Correctional Health Services.
• First COVID stimulus for Vermont businesses to be released by Wednesday
  • Lawmakers Friday approved $576 million in federal stimulus money before adjourning the session until August to deal with budgetary issues.

Higher Education

• Alabama to fund widespread COVID testing for college students this fall
  • Students returning to college campuses in Alabama this fall will have the “opportunity” to be tested for coronavirus before arriving on campus, and at least one university will require students to test negative before they are allowed to return.
• Buffeted by COVID-19, Connecticut universities must retain students to keep finances afloat
  • Connecticut universities are preparing for bad budgetary outcomes if enrollment falls short. Enrollment is expected to be down 10% at some universities, but the Board of Regents hope that enrollment will remain constant in community colleges. Housing and dining services usage are also both expected to be down, which is another hard hit.
• (Florida) DeSantis kills online learning program amid virus resurgence
  • With a stroke of his veto pen, Gov. Ron DeSantis wiped out the entire $29.4 million budget for a suite of online education services that have become critical to students and faculty during the Covid-19 outbreak.
• Interim Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education Administrators for SARS-CoV-2 Testing
  • The CDC issued guidelines for Higher Education institutions based on what is currently known about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.
• (Washington) Parents, students question value of college experience during COVID-19 pandemic
  • Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many colleges and universities have moved to remote learning models, leaving students and parents questioning the value of a college education in the current climate. This feedback comes after the university released its plan for the fall quarter, which includes a mix of in-class and remote learning, with courses involving more than 50 students taught online.

K-12 Education

• (Michigan) Grand Rapids school board approves $10.6M budget cut for next year due to coronavirus
  • The Grand Rapids school board unanimously approved its 2020-21 budget, which includes a cut of $10.6 million, due to projected reductions in state funding following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• (Connecticut) State releases plan to return students to school
  • The state released requirements and guidance for local districts to open schools this fall as hospitalizations in the state due to COVID-19 fell under 100 for the first time in months.
  • The Department of Education released its plan to return students to schools this fall with an option for parents and guardians to choose to keep students home temporarily. The state introduced the possibility to rehire retired teachers and teachers who voluntarily identify as “high risk” or have other health concerns to lead continued distance learning programs.
• (Michigan) Gov. Whitmer to release details of the state's back-to-school plan Tuesday
  • Whitmer stated she is optimistic that schools will return to in-person learning in the fall and schools must make sure to enact strict safety measures to continue protecting educators, students, and their families.
• North Carolina public school announcement amid coronavirus pandemic expected this week
  • North Carolina officials are looking at the trends of cases, tests and hospitalizations in order to determine how schools will operate in August. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is expected to share how the state's public schools will operate in the upcoming school academic year amid the coronavirus pandemic by Wednesday.
  • The StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12) lays out a comprehensive set of baseline health practices that public schools should follow to minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19 for students, staff, and families, and schools.
• Arizona school reopening will be delayed until at least Aug. 17
  • Arizona schools will delay reopening for in-person classes this year until at least Aug. 17 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Doug Ducey announced.
  • The announcement means schools will not be able to hold in-person classes until mid-August, but schools could offer online instruction before the reopening date, Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman wrote.
• (Iowa) State COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools lacking, Rep. Steckman says
  • On June 25, the Iowa Department of Education (DE) released COVID reopening guidance to k-12 schools for the upcoming school year. After significant push back from education leaders, teachers, and parents, the department quickly offered to take more input.
• Texas Teachers Consider Leaving The Classroom Over COVID-19 Fears
  • The Association of Texas Professional Educators recently surveyed some 4,200 educators. About 60% said they were concerned about their health and safety heading into the 2020-21 school year. Also, nearly one-third of U.S. teachers are 50 years or older, according to federal data. That puts them at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus.

Health Care

• Maryland coronavirus emergency healthcare enrollment extended to July 15
  • The deadline to sign up for coronavirus emergency healthcare in Maryland has been extended into July. According to Maryland Health Connection, the state’s health insurance marketplace, uninsured residents have until July 15 to sign up.
• Infectious disease funding for prisons vetoed as COVID-19 cases in Florida soar
  • As Florida faces a rapidly spreading pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $28 million for infectious disease drug treatment.
  • The move cut a sizable chunk of funding set aside by the Florida Legislature for the infectious diseases treatment, a veto from a $112.9 million appropriation for inmate treatment.
• (Illinois) Millions for COVID-19 contact tracers to be distributed soon
  • A crucial element of preventing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases is a robust contact tracing program. The state is seeking to hire about 4,000 contact tracers in addition to those already working for state and county health departments.
• Frisco firm eked out victory for Texas COVID contact tracing deal, records show
  • A small Frisco company narrowly bested a consulting behemoth to win a $295 million contract to coordinate the state coronavirus contact tracing efforts, newly released documents show. Texas lawmakers have questioned why the hastily awarded contract went to the relatively unknown MTX Group over major government contractors, including Accenture, IBM and AT&T.
• (Texas) Bexar County to Get Military Medical Personnel to Help ‘Stressed’ Hospital System
  • The exponential rise in infections is putting “significant stress” on the hospital system, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Monday.
  • The Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC), a network of hospitals and first responders, requested that the U.S. Department of Defense deploy medical personnel to help treat the influx of patients, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said at Monday’s media briefing on the pandemic.
• Voters in deep-red Oklahoma weigh Medicaid expansion as virus cases climb
  • Voters in deep-red Oklahoma this week could order Medicaid expansion for at least 200,000 poor adults, defying state and Trump administration officials fighting to limit the Obamacare program.

Social Services 

• (Pennsylvania) State extends unemployment compensation benefits for 13 more weeks
  • Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jerry Oleksiak announced Monday that people who exhaust their regular unemployment compensation (UC) and federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) may now qualify for 13 additional weeks of payments through the state’s Unemployment Compensation Extended Benefits program.
• Tennessee extends deadline for families to apply for COVID-19-related food assistance
  • The Tennessee Department of Human Services says P-EBT provides parents with $5.70 in food benefits per child for each day that child qualifies.
• New Mexico Gets Extension On Boost In Food Assistance Through July
  • Residents who receive food assistance will continue to get the maximum amount allowed for their household size through the end of July.
• (South Dakota) DSS launches crisis counseling, outreach program
  • The Department of Social Services (DSS) launched 605 Strong, a new crisis counseling program, dedicated to helping people struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Justice/Public Safety

• California Prisons Are COVID Hotbeds Despite Billions Spent On Inmate Health
  • From Corcoran and Avenal state prisons in the arid Central Valley to historical San Quentin on the San Francisco Bay, California prisons have emerged as raging COVID-19 hot spots, even as the state annually spends more on inmate health care than other big states spend on their entire prison systems.

Transportation

• (New York) OP-ED: MTA freeze on capital spending should exempt FTA funding
  • MTA Chairman Pat Foye should make it clear that all federally-funded capital projects, including those not yet awarded, are exempt from his freeze and will go forward.
• (New York) MTA demonstrates more than a dozen disinfecting sprayers to be used systemwide
  • The agency says all 5,400 in-service train cars are getting cleaned daily with crews cleaning cars more than a million times since March.
• Cities Open Streets and Redefine Their Purpose and Focus
  • Tampa, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Los Angeles are repurposing streets for business and pedestrian use during the coronavirus pandemic. So far, the programs have been well received, and may even survive past the pandemic

Public Utilities

• Tracking the impact of coronavirus on the US power sector
  • Utility Dive provides their latest updates that the continued impact COVID-19 is having on the US power sector.

Natural Resources/Environment            

• COVID-19 gives us good reasons to hit up parks. Now we need to fully fund their upkeep
  • Even before the virus, Congress was planning to enact key public land enhancements and protections, including the full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, our nation’s most important program for expanding outdoor opportunities.
  • It makes perfect sense at this time because parks and public spaces are not only good for our health. An invigorated outdoor recreation economy can be a potent stimulus for our recovery as we continue, phase by phase, to emerge from the pandemic.