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Welcome to the April 12, Brew.
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Here's what's in store for you as you start your day:
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COVID-19 policy changes and events - one year ago this week
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Two Cabinet-level positions remain unfilled in Biden administration
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Maryland voters will decide court name change in 2022
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BALLOTPEDIA |
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COVID-19 policy changes and events - one year ago this week
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The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Friday, April 9, that it would continue hearing oral arguments by teleconference for the remainder of the current session.
One year ago from April 13, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would release live audio of proceedings to the public for the first time in history. The court announced it would hear 13 cases by teleconference in May 2020 after it postponed oral arguments on April 3 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, more than 112 million Americans had received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine as of Friday, April 9. We're continuing with our series looking back at policy changes and other significant events related to the coronavirus pandemic from one year ago this week. Here is a sampling of policy changes and events that happened the week of April 13-17, 2020.
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Travel restrictions:
One year ago this week, Idaho became the 20th state to implement travel restrictions. A total of 27 states plus D.C. implemented travel restrictions eventually.
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On April 13, The Pennsylvania Department of Health recommended that out-of-state travelers, especially those from areas with high rates of infection or community spread, self-quarantine for 14 days.
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On April 15, Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) issued a travel restriction that required out-of-state visitors to self-quarantine for 14 days. The restriction was included in an extension Little issued to the stay-at-home order that went into effect on March 25 and was set to expire on April 15. The travel restrictions exempted essential workers.
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School closures:
At this point in the pandemic one year ago, all schools had closed to in-person instruction.
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On April 13, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) closed schools for the remainder of the academic year. Before the announcement, schools were closed through April 30.
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On April 14, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) closed schools for the remainder of the academic year. Before the announcement, schools were closed through April 17. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) closed schools for the remainder of the academic year. Before the announcement, schools were closed through May 1.
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Election changes:
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On April 14, Judge Bradley B. Cavedo, of Virginia's 13th Judicial Circuit, extended the deadline for the Republican Party of Virginia to select its nominee for the 7th Congressional District election to July 28, 2020.
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That same day, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D) postponed the state's presidential preference primary election to July 11, 2020. The primary, originally scheduled to take place on April 4, had initially been postponed to June 20, 2020.
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The Democratic Party of Indiana announced on April 14 that it would cancel its in-person state convention, which had been scheduled to take place on June 13, 2020. Instead, the party opted to conduct convention business virtually and by mail.
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Federal government responses:
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The U.S. Supreme Court announced on April 13 it would hear 13 cases by teleconference in May. The court announced it would release live audio of the proceedings to the public for the first time in history.
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On April 14, President Donald Trump (R) announced that the U.S. was suspending funding to the World Health Organization pending a review of the group's actions in response to the coronavirus.
For the most recent coronavirus news, subscribe to our daily newsletter, Documenting America’s Path to Recovery.
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Two Cabinet-level positions remain unfilled in Biden administration
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The Senate is back in session today. Since one of the Senate's responsibilities is voting on the president's Cabinet nominees, I thought I'd update you on where the new administration’s nominations and confirmations stand.
There are 23 positions in Joe Biden's (D) Cabinet requiring Senate confirmation, and 21 nominees have been confirmed. The most recent confirmation was Marty Walsh as secretary of labor on March 22. Two positions remain unfilled: director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
Biden initially nominated Neera Tanden, the president of Center for American Progress, to serve as OMB director. She faced two hearings before the Senate Budget Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee but never received a committee vote.
After Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and three Republican senators who supported many of Biden's nominees—Susan Collins (Maine), Rob Portman (Ohio), and Mitt Romney (Utah)—said they would not support her confirmation, Tanden withdrew from consideration on March 2. Biden has not yet named a replacement nominee. OMB Deputy Director Shalanda Young is the acting director of the agency.
Biden formally nominated Eric Lander for OSTP director on Jan. 20. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has not yet scheduled his confirmation hearing. If Lander is confirmed, it will be the first time a presidential science advisor is in the president's Cabinet.
All 15 of President Biden's main Cabinet secretary nominees were confirmed 61 days after he took office. At this point in President Barack Obama's (D) presidency—82 days after his inauguration—he still had one vacant main Cabinet position: secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. At this point in President Donald Trump’s (R) presidency, his administration had two vacant main Cabinet positions: at the departments of agriculture and labor.
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Maryland voters will decide court name change in 2022
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On April 9, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) signed a bill creating the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals, effective June 30. Maryland voters will have a say on an issue related to their courts in November 2022.
On April 6, the Maryland legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the November 2022 ballot that would rename the Maryland Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court of Maryland and the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to the Appellate Court of Maryland. The Maryland Court of Appeals is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Maryland.
The measure would also change the title of judges on the Court of Appeals from judges to justices. And it would amend gendered language to be gender-neutral in the relevant articles of the Maryland Constitution.
Maryland and New York are the only two states whose courts of last resort do not have the word "Supreme" in the title. New York's court is called the State of New York Court of Appeals. Additionally, Oklahoma and Texas each have two courts of last resort, one being their Supreme Courts (for civil appeals) and the others, Courts of Criminal Appeals. As of 2020, there were 345 judicial positions across the 52 courts of last resort. (See our report on state court partisanship here.)
In a hearing on the bill, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals Mary Ellen Barbera said, “There is confusion from beyond the borders of our state as lawyers, law students and litigants research, contact and even file papers with the wrong court. That same confusion persists among Marylanders.”
The amendment needed 60% support in the state Senate and House. The state House approved it 125-10 on March 21. The state Senate approved it 40-7 on April 6.
So far, 16 statewide ballot measures across 11 states have made the 2022 ballot.
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