Republican-led states are looking to reopen their economies, but mayors in some of their biggest cities are not on board.
As some Republican governors move to reopen parts of their states’ shuttered economies, local Democratic leaders are pushing back — fearful that easing guidelines too early could wipe away the progress their cities have made in battling the novel coronavirus.
Governors in a handful of states have begun unveiling plans to reopen beaches, retail stores, bowling alleys, hair salons and other “nonessential” businesses, following on President Donald Trump’s release last week of a federal plan for reopening the U.S. economy. But just as the power struggle between federal and state governments has unfolded over response measures such as testing and supply-chain coordination, tensions over who has the power to reopen parts of a state, and when, are beginning to surface within state borders.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was quick to revise a two-week-old executive order, which he issued only after being criticized for moving slowly to close the state’s beaches and keep people at home. The governor announced Monday the state would allow some department stores to reopen, along with other businesses deemed “nonessential” such as florists, bookstores, sporting goods stores, music, shoe and jewelry stores. The changes still require the stores to abide by previous occupancy limits and social-distancing guidelines.
McMaster also loosened restrictions on public access to South Carolina beaches and waterways, leaving it up to local jurisdictions.
The moves come even as the state’s coronavirus outbreak continues to grow, Mayor Stephen Benjamin of Columbia pointed out Tuesday. The Democratic mayor told CNN that he’s been “operating on the other side” of the governor’s approach, focusing on data indicators, “not arbitrary dates.”
“When you should go back to business is when you have some true indicators over two weeks that show a deceleration of the pandemic,” Benjamin said, referring to one of the White House’s criteria in its multi-phase guidelines for reopening state economies.
“We need more testing. We need more data, and then we can decide how we go back into business,” Benjamin continued. “But the challenge we’re seeing is in places like Florida and Georgia, and yes, even here in South Carolina, is there is not that dialogue that is data-focused.”
As Benjamin alluded to, Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, has been even bolder in his moves to reopen the state’s businesses shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic. Bowling alleys, gyms, tattoo parlors and hair and nail salons will be allowed to reopen beginning Friday, as long as business owners adhere to social-distancing and hygiene guidelines. Starting next week, movie theaters can reopen and restaurants will be allowed to return to limited dine-in service.
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Savannah Mayor Van Johnson noted on CNN Monday that the city had yet to see a 14-day decline as the virus continues to infect and kill residents throughout the state.
“I’m beyond disturbed,” he said. “In my mind, this is reckless, it’s premature and it’s dangerous. It’s not based in any type of science of best practices.”
Other Republican governors in states like Texas and Florida are beginning to issue reopening plans, setting off similar alarms among local Democrats, who worry the moves may be too ambitious.
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Republican-led states are looking to reopen their economies, but mayors in some of their biggest cities are not on boardhttps://t.co/gDY4wjL5O9
— POLITICO (@politico) April 22, 2020
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