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Welcome to the Thursday, April 30, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Coronavirus update: What's going on in the seven states that haven't canceled in-person instruction for the year?
- Local Roundup
- Mfume wins special election in Maryland's 7th Congressional District
Updates on stories related to the coronavirus outbreak are current through Wednesday afternoon. Click here for the latest news.
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Coronavirus update: What's going on in the seven states that haven't canceled in-person instruction for the year?
Ballotpedia is regularly tracking government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today we are revisiting a policy area affecting many families across the country—school closures.
Six states announced on March 12 the closure of schools to in-person instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, all 50 states have closed schools to in-person instruction for some amount of time, and 43 of them have done so through the remainder of the academic year. Those 43 states account for 88.1% of the 50.6 million public school students in the country. Here’s what is happening in the other seven states.
The seven states that have not closed schools to in-person instruction for the remainder of the year are Connecticut, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, and Wyoming. Three of those states have Democratic trifectas, two have Republican trifectas, and two have divided governments.
Of those seven states, only Montana has announced an end to the state-mandated in-person school closure. Gov. Steve Bullock (D) announced that schools could begin reopening on May 7, with the decision left up to local school boards. Should schools choose to remain closed, however, they would still receive funding to continue remote instruction. According to a report in the Associated Press, no public school districts in Montana have decided to reopen next week.
In five states—Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Wyoming—the date that school closings are slated to end is before the academic year is over. In Connecticut, the school closure is currently scheduled to end on May 20, and on May 15 in the other four states. In North Dakota, the school closure is set to last indefinitely. State leaders have not formally indicated whether they intend to open or formally close in-person schooling for the academic year.
The issue of whether schools will reopen to in-person instruction this year has caused conflict between New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D). Earlier this month, de Blasio said publicly that schools in the city would not reopen this school year. The next day, Cuomo said that a decision still had not been reached and that only he had the legal authority to make that decision. New York City's school system serves 1.1 million public school students.
Here are some other notable coronavirus-related updates since Wednesday's Brew:
- ICYMI, our Daily Coronavirus Briefing newsletter yesterday featured a quote from an article in the November 5, 1918, edition of the Los Angeles Times. That story discussed how all election officers that year were required to wear masks by the direction of the health department. It seems applicable to our current situation:
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Thousands of people who go to the polls today to cast their votes will be confronted by masked men for the first time in their lives. The Advisory Committee of the health department yesterday instructed Registrar of Voters Lyons to order all election officers to wear masks while on duty today. This edict was not issued to frighten people away from the polls, it is said, but rather to throw around voters an additional protection against the disease.
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- President Donald Trump (R) signed an executive order aimed at keeping meat processing plants open throughout the country. Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to designate meat processing plants as critical infrastructure.
- Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) extended the state’s stay-at-home order through May 31. The new order, which Mills called a “Stay Safer at Home Order,” relaxes restrictions on some businesses as part of the first stage of the state’s new reopening plan. Gatherings with more than 10 people are still prohibited, but beginning May 1, some businesses, such as barbershops, drive-in movie theaters, and auto dealers, can reopen with restrictions.
- New York Gov. Cuomo (D) announced the creation of the New York Forward Re-Opening Advisory Board, consisting of more than 100 business, community, and civic leaders.
- North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) released his ND Smart Restart protocols. These guidelines will apply to businesses in the state beginning May 1, when the phased reopening of the state’s economy will begin.
- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) outlined her Back to Normal plan for the state. The plan includes guidelines for individuals, employers, retailers, schools, healthcare providers, and local governments for resuming normal operations. The guidelines are not requirements as South Dakota never issued a stay-at-home order or required businesses to close.
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Local Roundup
Ohio concluded its statewide primary election yesterday. Disabled voters and those without a home address were allowed to vote in-person. Voters casting absentee ballots were required to have them postmarked by April 27 and election officials must receive them by May 8. We already have some results from the state. Here is a sampling:
Voters in Ohio’s four largest cities decided eight local ballot measures during the statewide primary.
Cleveland
Cleveland voters approved two amendments to the city charter regarding the electronic tabulation of ballots and scheduling of city council meetings. Voters also approved Issue 6, limiting the annual salary increase of city council members to the percentage increase in salary of a majority of city recognized unions. All three measures were put on the ballot by the Cleveland City Council.
Cuyahoga County voters—which includes Cleveland—approved Issue 33, which increases the county’s property tax from $390 to $470 per $100,000 of assessed value to provide funding for health and human or social services. Ohio assessed property values for tax purposes are set at 35% of market value.
Columbus
Columbus, Ohio, voters approved a $300-million bond issue for Columbus State Community College and renewed a measure which assesses a tax of $100 per $100,000 of assessed property value to fund Southwest Public Libraries for 10 years.
One measure each in Cincinnati and Toledo were considered too-close-to-call as of April 29.
Cincinnati
Hamilton County, Ohio, Issue 7 was leading 50.2% to 49.8% with over 131,000 total votes cast. The measure would authorize the Hamilton County Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority to impose a 0.8% sales tax to raise revenue for infrastructure improvements and operating the Metro transportation system. Cincinnati Public Radio reported April 29 that there were at least 14,736 outstanding absentee ballots remaining and 4,280 provisional ballots that could be counted.
Toledo
According to unofficial results, Toledo, Ohio, Issue 1 was trailing, 44% to 56%. It would authorize the city to increase the local income tax from 2.25% to 2.75% for 10 years beginning July 1, 2020, through December 31, 2030. The revenue from the income tax would be divided 60% to the General Fund and 40% to a dedicated revenue fund to improve city roads and fund capital improvements, emergency services, parks and recreation, and pre-kindergarten education.
In a statement released April 29, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz—who supported Issue 1—said that before the election was postponed from March 17 to April 28, he thought the ballot measure would pass. Kapszukiewicz’s statement said, “But in the last 40 days, the world has turned upside down. I know Toledoans want their roads fixed, but I don’t blame them for being cautious with their own money in these uncertain times.”
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Mfume wins special election in Maryland's 7th Congressional District
Kweisi Mfume (D) defeated Kim Klacik (R) in the special election for Mayland’s 7th Congressional District. Mfume will fill the vacancy resulting from the death of Elijah Cummings (D) in October 2019. According to unofficial results, Mfume received 72.5% of the vote to Klacik’s 26.5%. In the 2018 general election, Cummings defeated Richmond Davis (R), 76% to 21%. The Maryland Board of Elections will certify the results by May 8.
Four special elections have been held during the 116th U.S. Congress—the current meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives. Three such elections were held in 2019, and five more are scheduled during the rest of this year.
Two more congressional special elections are scheduled for May 12:
In California's 25th Congressional District, Christy Smith (D) and Mike Garcia (R) advanced from a field of 12 candidates in the district’s March 3 top-two primary. Smith was first with 35.8% of the vote while Garcia finished second with 25.1%. The election will fill the vacancy left by Katie Hill (D), who resigned on November 1, 2019, amid allegations of extramarital relationships with staffers. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed an executive order providing for all-mail voting in the May 12 special election. The Cook Political Report and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball rate the race as a Toss-up and Inside Elections rates it as Likely Democratic.
Tom Tiffany (R) and Tricia Zunker (D) are running in the special election for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District to fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Sean Duffy (R). Duffy left office in September 2019 in anticipation of the birth of a child with health complications.
Tiffany, a state senator, defeated Jason Church in the February 18 Republican primary by a margin of 15 percentage points. Zunker, a member of the Wausau School Board and associate justice on the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court, defeated Lawrence Dale in the Democratic primary with 89% of the vote to Dale's 11%. All three major election race rating publications classify the race as Safe or Solid Republican.
Wisconsin election officials have not announced any changes to election procedures for this election. The state’s spring elections on April 7 followed weeks of debate among state leaders over whether to postpone the election or adjust election procedure in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Voters decided 136 congressional special elections between 1985 and 2012—19 in the Senate and 117 in the House of Representatives. In those elections, nine seats changed partisan hands, with Republicans gaining six seats and Democrats gaining three.
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