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Welcome to the Monday, May 4, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Find out which states are lifting coronavirus-related restrictions this week
- Looking at the state executive, legislative races lacking a major-party candidate
- Supreme Court issues new rules for May remote oral arguments
Updates on stories related to the coronavirus outbreak are current through Sunday afternoon. Click here for the latest news.
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Find out which states are lifting coronavirus-related restrictions this week
Ballotpedia is regularly tracking the plans federal, state, and local officials are making to set America on a path to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Today we’re looking at what is reopening today (Monday) and which state’s stay-at-home orders expired.
States with Republican governors
- Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) announced that gyms and fitness centers could reopen. He said gyms must screen staff before work and require patrons to maintain a distance of 12 feet. Arkansas is a Republican trifecta.
- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's (R) April 29 executive order allows nonessential retail businesses to open for curbside pickup. Arizona is a Republican trifecta.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) April 29 executive order allows restaurants, retail stores, libraries, and museums to open to 25% of their building occupancy under certain guidelines. The order also allows elective medical procedures under certain conditions. These allowances do not apply to Broward, Miami-Dade, or Palm Beach counties. The state’s stay-at-home order also expires today. Florida is a Republican trifecta.
- Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) announced a five-stage plan for reopening on May 1. Most parts of the state will move to Stage 2 today. In Stage 2, various restaurants, retail, and commercial businesses may open, subject to capacity restrictions and social distancing guidelines. The state's stay-at-home order expired May 1. Indiana is a Republican trifecta.
- Missouri's stay-at-home order, in effect since April 6, expired May 3. Missouri is a Republican trifecta.
- Restrictions will be loosened in 10 of Nebraska's 19 health department regions. These reduced measures will allow for the limited reopening of dine-in services at restaurants and personal care businesses. Nebraska is a Republican trifecta.
- New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) announced May 1 that certain healthcare services can begin to phase-in operations. The change is part of a modified stay-at-home order now in place through May 31. The original order, which went into effect March 27, expires today. New Hampshire is under divided government, with a Republican governor and Democratic majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
- West Virginia will begin week two of its reopening plan. Personal care businesses will be allowed to reopen by appointment only, while outdoor dining at restaurants can also resume under social distancing restrictions. Churches and funeral homes will be allowed to resume in-person services under guidelines for limited seating, physical distancing, and face-covering restrictions. West Virginia is a Republican trifecta.
States with Democratic governors
- Kansas' stay-at-home order, in effect since March 30, expired May 3. Gov. Laura Kelly (D) announced April 30 she would not extend the order. Kansas is under divided government, with a Democratic governor and Republican majorities in the state House and Senate.
We place states into six categories:
- Reopenings in progress: the state has already lifted restrictions on some industries put in place because of the pandemic.
- Announced reopenings, effective date: the state will reopen or partially reopen three or more industries on a set date.
- Announced reopenings, contingent date: the state will reopen or partially reopen three or more industries on a targeted date, dependent on other conditions.
- Announced reopenings, no date: the state has a plan to reopen three or more industries entirely dependent on conditions.
- Limited or no announced reopening plan: the state has not yet put forth a plan to reopen three or more industries
- No state-mandated closures were issued.
You can stay updated on state and local government proposals for lifting coronavirus-related restrictions on individuals and businesses by subscribing to our free daily newsletter—Documenting America's Path to Recovery. Click the link below to subscribe.
Here are some other notable coronavirus-related updates since Friday's Brew:
- New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) extended the state’s stay-at-home order from April 30 to May 15.
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced that New York schools would remain closed to in-person instruction for the rest of the academic year.
- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) extended the state's stay-at-home order through May 31. It was set to expire today. He also announced a four-phase reopening plan with each phase separated by at least three weeks. The first phase includes only minor changes to current restrictions. The second phase would allow reopening of all remaining manufacturing, new home construction, in-home services, in-store retail, hair and nail salons, restaurants at less than 50% capacity, all outdoor recreation for groups of five or fewer, and more.
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Looking at the state executive, legislative races lacking a major-party candidate
So far, 20 states have had filing deadlines pass for state executive offices, and 30 states have seen deadlines pass for state legislative offices. We took a look at which of those races are lacking a major-party candidate. I’m excited to share with you a summary of the results.
State executives
Across the 20 states whose filing deadlines have passed for state executive positions, such as governor and public service commissioner, five states are holding elections without a major-party candidate. In those states, 16 elections—14%—lack a major-party candidate. Eleven races (10%) lack a Democratic candidate, and five (4%) lack a Republican candidate.
Nine of the 16 state executive offices lacking either a Democrat or a Republican are held by the opposing party. The other seven are held by nonpartisan officeholders.
- In five of the 11 elections without a Democratic candidate, the current incumbent is a Republican. The remaining six are seats on the Utah State Board of Education, which is holding partisan elections for the first time this year due to a law change.
- Four of the five seats without a Republican candidate have Democratic incumbents. The fifth seat is another Utah State Board of Education position.
- The 11 state executive races lacking a Democratic candidate are concentrated in four states—Alabama, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah. The races are for:
- One state board of education seat in Alabama
- One public education commission seat in New Mexico
- One corporation commissioner in Oklahoma
- Eight positions in Utah
- Those Utah positions include state treasurer, state auditor, and six state board of education seats
- The five state executive races lacking a Republican candidate are concentrated in three states—Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The races are for:
- One state board of regents seat in Colorado
- Three public education commission seats in New Mexico
- One state board of education seat in Utah
In 2019, there were 36 state executive offices up for election across three states. Eight of those elections did not have a Democratic candidate, and three did not have a Republican candidate.
This year, 165 state executive offices are up for election in 28 states. The last major-party filing deadline for a state executive office is for the Ohio State Board of Education on August 5.
State legislative
Across the 30 states whose filing deadlines have passed for state legislative positions, 1,347 races — nearly 23% — do not have a major-party candidate. 764 races lack a Democratic candidate, and 583 lack a Republican candidate.
In 2018, 2,017 races (33.2%) did not feature major-party competition. That number was 2,477 (41.8%) in 2016 and 2,606 (43%) in 2014.
The number of races lacking a Democratic candidate is higher than it was in 2018 (746) and lower than it was in 2016 (1,210). The number of races lacking a Republican candidate is lower than both in 2018 (1,271) and 2016 (1,262).
The most seats without a major-party candidate are concentrated in three states:
- New York, Oklahoma, and Georgia. New York has the highest number; of its 213 state legislative seats, 74 races (34.7%) do not have a Republican candidate.
- Oklahoma and Georgia are tied with the second-highest at 68 races. Of the 125 seats on the ballot in Oklahoma, 68 races (54.4%) lack a Democratic candidate. Of the 236 state legislative races on the ballot in Georgia, 68 races (28.8%) lack a Republican candidate.
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SCOTUS issues new rules for May remote oral arguments
The U.S. Supreme Court released rules last week for handling remote oral arguments in a number of cases scheduled for May. This followed an announcement from earlier in April when the court declared it would release live audio of the proceedings to the public for the first time in history.
The court will use a teleconferencing system to hear oral arguments remotely. The new protocols lay out the order of business the court will follow each day, including a seniority-based sequence the Justices will follow for asking questions.
The court will hear cases on May 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13. Those cases previously scheduled for March and April are:
The other cases the court is hearing in May are:
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