In an historic first, the Senate Presidents’ Forum convened online May 6, 2020, for a session devoted to updates from the states on their COVID-19 status. Nineteen senate leaders from across the country participated, along with additional senators and corporate members of the Forum. The senators described the challenges and unexpected complexities arising from the pandemic, as well as best practices for addressing those issues.

While the scale of the crisis varies widely, from New York with its 330,000 cases and 25,000 deaths compared to Wyoming with 7 deaths, essential themes were consistent across the states, including challenges to:

• Re-opening

– Protect health while safely re-opening the states

– Address the differing needs of urban and rural areas

– Resolve differences of opinions about opening strategies among stakeholders including governors, legislatures, and the public

• Economics

– Deal with anticipated post-COVID economic issues, such as budget deficits, state pensions, and job losses

• Governing

– Create new practices to allow legislatures to continue their work virtually

• Education

– Deliver more effective education while preserving social distancing

Criteria to Support Re-opening

Most states have adopted phased re-opening plans based on specific criteria. Sen. Rodric Bray (IN) identified four requirements to guide opening that are similar among the states: a decrease in hospitalizations and deaths; assurance of adequate surge capacity in ICUs and ventilators; testing for symptomatic people; and contact tracing for those who test positive. Sen. Ron Kouchi (HI) reported that his state is using the New Zealand model for reopening, which also takes a staged approach based on data.

In many states, specific guidance for industry has been issued to keep customers and workers safe. Partial or soft openings of businesses include strategies such as allowing restaurants to open with restricted or outdoor seating, curbside delivery for retail, and timed and/or limited entry for businesses to support social distancing. The roll-out in most cases will be staged, with the option to add restrictions if COVID infections reappear.

Some states are seeing political conflicts and public demonstrations over re-opening, reported Sen. Robert Stivers (KY), Sen. Brent Hill (ID), and Sen. Mike Shirkey (MI), fueling the need for specific metrics to guide the decision-making process. Decisions by bordering states to open, while neighboring states retain restrictions, put pressure on elected officials and suggest the importance of a regional approach to re-opening.

Rural Issues

In some states with rural populations, people in quiet areas don’t want to have the same restrictions as urban hot spots. Forum Board Chair Sen. Mary Kay Papen (NM) noted that the National Guard has been used to monitor entry into Gallup, NM, because “social distancing” is foreign to the local, rural Native American culture and is difficult to enforce. Sen. Drew Perkins (WY) concurred that clusters of cases were occurring in Native American communities and said re-opening authority is delegated to county health authorities. In Iowa, 77 of 99 counties that are mostly rural are slowly being allowed to open, Sen. Charles Schneider (IA) reported. In rural Idaho, most businesses have re-opened but the executive branch is divided on “stay at home” orders.

Economic Issues

For many states, a significant challenge is the economic fallout of the pandemic, with huge job losses and unemployment claims, and significant revenue shortfalls predicted. Sen. Butch Miller (GA) noted an anticipated $4 billion shortfall for his state, while New York may face a $13 billion deficit, according to Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (NY). Michigan is another state profoundly affected by job losses and economic shortfalls, according to Sen. Mike Shirkey (MI). For Nebraska, the impact from meat-packing plant closures has affected animal and crop producers, putting the whole agricultural sector at risk, said Sen. Jim Scheer (NE). Plummeting oil and gas prices will affect Texas’ economy, Sen. Larry Taylor (TX) noted.

Sen. Steve Sweeney (NJ) focused on the challenge of adequately funding state pension systems and invited other senators with similar concerns to contact him about strategies to address this issue. He and others cited the uncertainty about the availability of federal relief funds and the potential for floating bonds.

Governing

Many states have passed resolutions to allow them to change operations and hold virtual sessions. New York passed its current budget remotely, Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (NY) reported, and she offered the Senators support from her team’s experience at the epicenter of the pandemic. Delaware will have a virtual session in order to pass its required balanced budget by June 30, Sen. David McBride (DE) said. Other states, such as Rhode Island and Illinois, have to overcome procedural barriers in order to have virtual legislative sessions and remote voting, according to Sen. Dom Ruggiero (RI) and Sen. Don Harmon (IL).

Education

Sen. Bill Ferguson (MD) said the public education system is a grave challenge, noting that “you can’t socially distance second graders.” Distance learning poses significant challenges to many states and may be less than optimal, Sen. Peter Courtney (OR) agreed, noting that rural schools particularly struggle to deliver online education. The University of South Carolina anticipates having on-campus classes in the fall, Sen. Tom Alexander (SC) reported, as restrictions ease in his state.

CONCLUSION

This rich exchange of information and support is a hallmark of the Senate Presidents’ Forum and launches a new virtual approach to forum meetings. The next online session will be held June 3 at 2:00pm ET, featuring a brief presentation on the States’ Budgets post-COVID followed by discussion. Joseph Crosby, Chairman and CEO of MultiState , will lead the discussion. He is a nationally recognized expert on state and local business tax policy and a frequent Forum presenter.

In an historic first, the Senate Presidents’ Forum convened online May 6, 2020, for a session devoted to updates from the states on their COVID-19 status. Nineteen senate leaders from across the country participated, along with additional senators and corporate members of the Forum. The senators described the challenges and unexpected complexities arising from the pandemic, as well as best practices for addressing those issues.

While the scale of the crisis varies widely, from New York with its 330,000 cases and 25,000 deaths compared to Wyoming with 7 deaths, essential themes were consistent across the states, including challenges to:

• Re-opening

– Protect health while safely re-opening the states

– Address the differing needs of urban and rural areas

– Resolve differences of opinions about opening strategies among stakeholders including governors, legislatures, and the public

• Economics

– Deal with anticipated post-COVID economic issues, such as budget deficits, state pensions, and job losses

• Governing

– Create new practices to allow legislatures to continue their work virtually

• Education

– Deliver more effective education while preserving social distancing

Criteria to Support Re-opening

Most states have adopted phased re-opening plans based on specific criteria. Sen. Rodric Bray (IN) identified four requirements to guide opening that are similar among the states: a decrease in hospitalizations and deaths; assurance of adequate surge capacity in ICUs and ventilators; testing for symptomatic people; and contact tracing for those who test positive. Sen. Ron Kouchi (HI) reported that his state is using the New Zealand model for reopening, which also takes a staged approach based on data.

In many states, specific guidance for industry has been issued to keep customers and workers safe. Partial or soft openings of businesses include strategies such as allowing restaurants to open with restricted or outdoor seating, curbside delivery for retail, and timed and/or limited entry for businesses to support social distancing. The roll-out in most cases will be staged, with the option to add restrictions if COVID infections reappear.

Some states are seeing political conflicts and public demonstrations over re-opening, reported Sen. Robert Stivers (KY), Sen. Brent Hill (ID), and Sen. Mike Shirkey (MI), fueling the need for specific metrics to guide the decision-making process. Decisions by bordering states to open, while neighboring states retain restrictions, put pressure on elected officials and suggest the importance of a regional approach to re-opening.

Rural Issues

In some states with rural populations, people in quiet areas don’t want to have the same restrictions as urban hot spots. Forum Board Chair Sen. Mary Kay Papen (NM) noted that the National Guard has been used to monitor entry into Gallup, NM, because “social distancing” is foreign to the local, rural Native American culture and is difficult to enforce. Sen. Drew Perkins (WY) concurred that clusters of cases were occurring in Native American communities and said re-opening authority is delegated to county health authorities. In Iowa, 77 of 99 counties that are mostly rural are slowly being allowed to open, Sen. Charles Schneider (IA) reported. In rural Idaho, most businesses have re-opened but the executive branch is divided on “stay at home” orders.

Economic Issues

For many states, a significant challenge is the economic fallout of the pandemic, with huge job losses and unemployment claims, and significant revenue shortfalls predicted. Sen. Butch Miller (GA) noted an anticipated $4 billion shortfall for his state, while New York may face a $13 billion deficit, according to Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (NY). Michigan is another state profoundly affected by job losses and economic shortfalls, according to Sen. Mike Shirkey (MI). For Nebraska, the impact from meat-packing plant closures has affected animal and crop producers, putting the whole agricultural sector at risk, said Sen. Jim Scheer (NE). Plummeting oil and gas prices will affect Texas’ economy, Sen. Larry Taylor (TX) noted.

Sen. Steve Sweeney (NJ) focused on the challenge of adequately funding state pension systems and invited other senators with similar concerns to contact him about strategies to address this issue. He and others cited the uncertainty about the availability of federal relief funds and the potential for floating bonds.

Governing

Many states have passed resolutions to allow them to change operations and hold virtual sessions. New York passed its current budget remotely, Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (NY) reported, and she offered the Senators support from her team’s experience at the epicenter of the pandemic. Delaware will have a virtual session in order to pass its required balanced budget by June 30, Sen. David McBride (DE) said. Other states, such as Rhode Island and Illinois, have to overcome procedural barriers in order to have virtual legislative sessions and remote voting, according to Sen. Dom Ruggiero (RI) and Sen. Don Harmon (IL).

Education

Sen. Bill Ferguson (MD) said the public education system is a grave challenge, noting that “you can’t socially distance second graders.” Distance learning poses significant challenges to many states and may be less than optimal, Sen. Peter Courtney (OR) agreed, noting that rural schools particularly struggle to deliver online education. The University of South Carolina anticipates having on-campus classes in the fall, Sen. Tom Alexander (SC) reported, as restrictions ease in his state.

CONCLUSION

This rich exchange of information and support is a hallmark of the Senate Presidents’ Forum and launches a new virtual approach to forum meetings. The next online session will be held June 3 at 2:00pm ET, featuring a brief presentation on the States’ Budgets post-COVID followed by discussion. Joseph Crosby, Chairman and CEO of MultiState , will lead the discussion. He is a nationally recognized expert on state and local business tax policy and a frequent Forum presenter.