Today's Brew introduces our new newsletter tracking how states are reopening their economies + highlights the latest party committee fundraising numbers
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Welcome to the Monday, April 27, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

* Coronavirus update: Documenting America's path to recovery
* DNC outraises RNC for the first time this election cycle
* Minnesota governor appoints new chief justice of state court of appeals

_Updates on stories related to the coronavirus outbreak are current through Sunday afternoon. Click here for the latest news ([link removed]) ._
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** CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: DOCUMENTING AMERICA'S PATH TO RECOVERY
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It's been 39 days since the first statewide lockdown started in California. As of today, at least 14 states have begun lifting restrictions on businesses or activities that were put in place in response to the coronavirus.

WE'VE BEEN REGULARLY TRACKING AND CHRONICLING THE WAYS THAT THE CORONAVIRUS HAS AFFECTED AMERICA'S POLITICAL AND CIVIC LIFE SINCE MARCH 18 IN OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER, CORONAVIRUS DAILY UPDATES. WE’RE LAUNCHING A NEW DAILY NEWSLETTER TODAY—_DOCUMENTING AMERICA'S PATH TO RECOVERY_—TO EXPLORE THE EVER-EVOLVING WORLD AROUND REOPENING. Click here ([link removed]) to subscribe and you'll receive the first edition in your inbox this afternoon.

Every weekday, we will:

* Track the status of reopening in all 50 states and describe the relevant political context.
* Provide in-depth summaries of some of the latest reopening plans, beginning with state plans and moving to local government or private industry plans in time.
* Link to the latest stories on other reopening plans and ideas. We’ll keep you up to date on all of the most recent developments coming out of state capitals.
* Highlight commentary demonstrating key arguments in the debate over how and when to reopen.

Here’s a sneak peek at the kind of content you’ll see in that newsletter—the status of reopening plans as of today. Note: the plans and dates listed below don't necessarily line-up with stay-at-home orders. Some states are lifting certain restrictions while leaving their stay-at-home order in place. Others never issued stay-at-home orders but still closed nonessential businesses. Announced plans are updated through Sunday afternoon.

* In at least 14 states, reopening is underway. This counts states that have already lifted restrictions on some type of business or activity that it had put in place in response to the coronavirus. NINE OF THESE STATES HAVE REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS, FIVE HAVE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS.
* Three states announced plans to lift some restrictions on a specific date: Illinois and Idaho on May 1 and Missouri on May 4. Illinois has a Democratic governor. Idaho and Missouri have Republican governors.
* Three states announced plans to lift some restrictions and provided a target date for doing so, dependent on conditions. Arkansas is targeting May 4, Pennsylvania May 8, and North Carolina May 9. Arkansas has a Republican governor. Pennsylvania and North Carolina have Democratic governors.
* Maryland issued a three-phased plan to reopen the economy but did not indicate when it could go into effect. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is a Republican.
* The remaining 29 states have not formally announced plans to lift restrictions put in place in response to the coronavirus. Sixteen of these states have Democratic governors, 13 have Republican governors.

The map below depicts the current status of reopenings, as of Sunday evening. Maps characterized as ‘other’ have either an effective date for reopening or a targeted date for reopening.

If you know of a plan we might be missing, please do us and your fellow readers a favor by replying to this email. We will continuously update what we are finding and share it in a way that allows citizens, influencers, pundits, policy analysts, and the nation’s reporters to see the lay of the land, see what’s on offer, and engage in fruitful comparisons so they see what’s best.

Click here to subscribe. ([link removed])

Here are some other notable coronavirus-related updates since Friday's _Brew_:

* President Donald Trump (R) signed a $484 billion coronavirus aid bill that included $130 billion for the Paycheck Protection Plan, $75 billion for hospitals, $25 billion for coronavirus testing, and $60 billion for emergency disaster loans and grants. The U.S. Senate passed the measure by voice vote and the U.S. House voted to pass the legislation, 388-5-1.
* Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) extended the state’s stay-at-home order through May 15. The Michigan State Legislature convened a special session Friday and created a joint committee to review Whitmer's policy responses to the coronavirus outbreak.
* North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) announced that schools in their respective states would not reopen for in-person instruction for the remainder of the academic year.
* A federal judge in Illinois issued an order modifying the filing procedures for unaffiliated and new-party candidates. The judge authorized candidates to collect petition signatures electronically; extended the filing deadline to August 7; and reduced petition signature requirements to 10 percent of their original numbers.
* The Washington Supreme Court rejected an emergency petition seeking to compel Gov. Jay Inslee (D) to order the mass release of inmates. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that the plaintiffs in the case, filed by Columbia Legal Services, had not proved that the state failed in its duties to incarcerated individuals.
* The Vermont Supreme Court ordered that anyone entering judiciary buildings must wear cloth face masks that cover the nose and mouth. This order applies to staff, participants, lawyers, members of the media, and members of the public.

Learn more ([link removed])

mailto:?&[email protected]&subject=Check out this info I found from Ballotpedia&body=[link removed] [blank] [link removed]'s%20path%20to%20recovery%20https://go.ballotpedia.org/e/481201/il-27-202020via2040Ballotpedia/23t14j/473436885?h=FJveUzKNhcIemPYbKT6vC6e14AD9GBQf5YSnC_388K0's%20Daily%20Brew [blank] [blank] [link removed]
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** DNC OUTRAISES RNC FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS ELECTION CYCLE
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The Democratic National Committee (DNC) outraised the Republican National Committee (RNC) in March 2020. This was the first time the DNC had a larger monthly total figure since October 2018, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The DNC raised $32.7 million while the RNC raised $24.0 million. In the 2020 cycle, the RNC has outraised the DNC $318.6 million to $146.7 million. The RNC's 73.9% fundraising edge is down from an advantage of 88.4% in March. At this point in the 2016 campaign cycle, the RNC had a 44.5% fundraising advantage over the DNC—$137.9 million to $87.7 million.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) raised $11.0 million in March while the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised $9.1 million. So far in the 2020 cycle, the NRSC has raised 7.0% more than the DSCC—$98.0 million to $91.3 million.

On the House side, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) raised $14.3 million in March while the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) raised $11.6 million. In the 2020 cycle, the DCCC has raised 30.0% more than the NRCC—$168.4 million to $124.5 million.

SO FAR THIS CYCLE, THE RNC, NRSC, AND NRCC COMBINED HAVE RAISED 28.4% MORE THAN THE DNC, DSCC, AND DCCC—$541.0 MILLION TO $406.5 MILLION. That fundraising advantage is down from 35.0% in March.

The graph below illustrates each party committees’ cash on hand during the 2020 election cycle.

Learn more→ ([link removed])
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** MINNESOTA GOVERNOR APPOINTS NEW CHIEF JUSTICE OF STATE COURT OF APPEALS
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Governor Tim Walz (D) appointed judge Susan Segal on April 13 to be the chief justice of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Segal will succeed Edward J. Cleary—who is retiring April 30—as chief of the court. Walz appointed state district court judge Jennifer Frisch on April 2 to replace Cleary on the court when his retirement becomes effective this week.

Segal will be the second woman to serve as chief justice of the court. Walz first appointed her in November 2019. She had previously served as the Minneapolis City Attorney for 12 years.

THE MINNESOTA COURT OF APPEALS CONSISTS OF 19 JUDGES THAT HEAR CASES IN THREE-JUDGE PANELS. Judges are elected to six-year terms in nonpartisan elections but vacancies on the court are filled by gubernatorial appointment. Appointed judges serve until the next general election that occurs more than one year after their appointment. Of the 19 current judges, 12 were originally appointed by Democratic governors and seven were appointed by Republicans.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in the state and hears appeals from the state’s lower courts. According to the official website of the Minnesota Judicial Branch, the Court of Appeals responds to approximately 2,000 to 2,400 appeals every year. The Minnesota Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort.

Forty-one states have at least one intermediate appellate court. According to a 2012 white paper prepared by the Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal, intermediate appellate courts were created in most states to lessen the caseload of the state’s highest court. Nine states—Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming—do not have an intermediate appellate court.

Learn more→ ([link removed])
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