This time next week, doors across the state could begin opening, with many Alabamians clocking hours for the first time in weeks. The Yellowhammer State is now six days away from the expiration of Governor Kay Ivey’s stay-at-home order.
Ivey has now heard from countless business leaders, elected officials and medical professionals, and many are expecting an announcement from her soon outlining her reopening plan.
The Speaker speaks. One of those officials from whom she has now heard is Alabama House Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia). McCutcheon serves on Ivey’s Coronavirus Task Force. He held a press conference on Thursday where he outlined his hope that Ivey begins reopening Alabama’s economy on May 1. McCutcheon’s approach tracks that of other recommendations requiring new guidelines for conducting business. He said, “We’re in a real struggle here for our small businesses, to try to get them open again. But with that in mind I think it’s important that we phase in to the program and look at certain guidelines that must be adhered to.”
Collaborating with federal officials. Alabama’s federal officials have not been shy about weighing in on what will be a state-level decision to reopen. This shows the enormous effect the coronavirus crisis is having on the state. Times are rare when federal and state policy mix. Members of the U.S. House provided Ivey with their recommendations for reopening the state earlier this week. Among them, Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) called for a May 1 reopening of retail establishments and beaches. He also recommended an announcement today of the state’s plan in order to provide businesses with sufficient time to prepare.
U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) spoke out in support of Ivey’s handling of the economic crisis.
I applaud @GovernorKayIvey’s comments today and her commitment to addressing our health care crisis first and foremost. She’s facing a lot of pressure to re-open our economy immediately, but I’m grateful she will put the health “data before a date,” as she said.
— Senator Doug Jones (@SenDougJones) April 21, 2020
Let there be light. Speaking of beaches, Yellowhammer News mentioned in this space yesterday that the reopening of beaches is a notable inclusion by Byrne given that some tests have shown sunlight destroys COVID-19 quickly. President Trump, at his Thursday evening briefing, said he believes sunlight and humidity kill the virus. Bill Bryan, head of science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security, said, “Coronavirus dies at a much more rapid pace when exposed to sunlight and humidity. The virus dies the quickest in direct sunlight. Isopropyl alcohol will kill the virus in 30 seconds.”
Collecting unemployment while refusing to work = fraud. That was the message from the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) in a statement yesterday. Attempting to clear up some of the confusion that currently exists in the workforce, ADOL reminded workers that if an employer calls them back, they must accept the work. Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said, “It’s important for workers to know that if their employer reopens or otherwise calls them back to work, they must do so, unless they have a good work-related cause. Attempts to collect unemployment benefits after quitting without a good work-related cause can be considered fraud.”
Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia
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