Hite’s COVID-19 Update: 4/3/20
by Dustin Hite
This week, our state continued its efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. This included the extension of many cancellations or delays that had previously been put in place. On Thursday, Governor Reynolds recommended that Iowa schools remain closed until at least April 30.
Prior to suspending session, the Legislature waived missed school days up to April 13. Because the situation was continuing to evolve, the Legislature also gave the Governor the authority to waive additional missed school days. She can do this on a statewide or district-by-district basis.
Parents can find several tools and resources to help their kids continue learning on the Iowa Department of Education’s website. That link can be found here.
Following the Governor’s recommendation that schools remain closed, leaders in the House and Senate announced that the suspension of the legislative session will also be extended until at least April 30. The Legislative Council will meet soon to formally extend the suspension.
Speaker Pat Grassley’s statement on the extension:
“The health and safety of all Iowans is our top priority during this unprecedented situation. Continuing the pause on session is the right decision at this time but we hope to be back soon to complete our work. I want to thank each and every Iowan for doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19. I also want to thank Governor Reynolds for her strong leadership during this time of uncertainty. As Iowans, I have no doubt in my mind that we can get through this together.”
In addition to extending these cancellations, some have called for a “shelter-in-place order” from the Governor. Currently, Governor Reynolds says she is looking at the data and following the advice of public health experts who say that such a measure is not necessary at this time. Governor Reynolds has stated that her decision could change depending on what new data shows.
Governor Reynolds has already taken significant action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 such as closing non-essential businesses, suspending non-essential surgeries, and encouraging Iowans to stay at home and practice social distancing.
While many states have issued formal “shelter-in-place” orders, they often don’t do much more than what’s already being done in Iowa. In fact, some of the actions that Governor Reynolds has taken are oftentimes stronger than what other states have done even though they have a formal order in place.
Some of the additional reasons against a shelter-in-place order in Iowa include:
Iowa’s population density is much smaller than most states (The New York City metro area’s population density is nearly 100x larger than Iowa’s)
Iowa does not utilize mass public transit which often spreads disease
Iowa does not have large apartment buildings where thousands of people live
A shelter-in-place order would strain local law enforcement resources
One of the chief concerns with all these measures being taken is that they affect employment. This week, Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) announced two unemployment insurance policies to implement the federal CARES Act that will help workers and self-employed business owners.
Workers: Effective immediately, employees who are or will be affected by COVID-19 will no longer be required to use all paid leave prior to being eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. The CARES Act provided the state with a significant amount of additional funding to support Iowans during this unprecedented time.
Self-Employed Business Owners: The CARES Act has also expanded the number of people who qualify for unemployment benefits to include self-employed, independent contractors, nonprofit employees, and gig economy workers. Prior to the CARES Act, these individuals did not qualify for unemployment benefits.
Finally, many have brought up concerns regarding elections as we are in an election year. On June 6, Iowa will hold its primary election for federal, state, and local candidates.
To keep Iowa voters safe and healthy amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Secretary of State Paul Pate announced this week that he will mail all registered voters an absentee ballot request form. Because we are uncertain what things will look like in June, this will allow Iowans to receive a ballot and vote by mail in the comfort of their home.
Ballot requests will be mailed out in mid- to late-April. More information can be found on the Secretary of State’s website here.
Finally, I would like to direct your attention to my Facebook page where I was able to host a virtual town hall this week with some of my colleagues. As your State Representative, it is important for me to be able to address your concerns during this difficult time, and I am happy to say we were able to answer quite a few constituent questions. If you didn’t catch the town hall, a recording of it is available on my Facebook page here. As always, I encourage you to send me an email at dustin.hite@legis.iowa.gov if you have any questions during this unprecedented time. With such a rapidly evolving situation, it is important we keep up to date with new policy changes and implementations. I strive to be a resource to help everyone stay informed.
