“…Issue a statewide “Stay at Home” order, to help combat the spread of Covid-19…”

Jackson County Prosecutor and Missouri Democratic Party Chair Jean Peters Baker [2019 file photo].

Today:

The Missouri Democratic Party Executive Committee is calling for the immediate implementation of a plan for the State of Missouri to help contain and address the spread of the coronavirus throughout Missouri.

“Missourians are looking for clarity and leadership as we face a truly unprecedented challenge as a state. Missourians need to know that our leaders are working together to leverage every available resource to keep us safe and to stabilize our economy. Missouri Democrats are stepping up, showing leadership, and addressing this crisis at the local and statewide level.” – Missouri Democratic Party Officers Hon. Jean Peters Baker, Hon. Clem Smith, Hon. Reverend Darryl Gray, and Cydney Mayfield

Missouri Democrats are offering a health and economic plan that calls for:

Health:

The State of Missouri should rapidly expand coronavirus mobile testing centers in each of Missouri’s 114 counties, especially in medically underserved communities, such as in rural and minority communities.

Identify all coronavirus hot spots in Missouri for increased immediate medical intervention and containment.

Issue a statewide “Stay at Home” order, to help combat the spread of Covid-19.

Request the appropriate funds from the state and federal government to fund increased testing, PPE, and when hot spots are identified, that the State provides additional resources for intervention and containment in hot spots, such as financing testing and other vital resources, such as mobilizing additional personnel.

Ensure that essential first-responders have the Personal Protective Equipment they need when they need it. Government should pursue every available means to secure essential PPE items, such as N95 masks, goggles, gloves, and gowns.

Funding to provide reimbursement to providers for treating the uninsured for coronavirus.

Implement a no-excuse vote-by-mail option to mail in or drop off a hand-marked paper ballot for all elections.

Funding to enable organizations to provide food to free and reduced price lunch eligible students while schools are closed.

Funding to provide corrections facilities with overtime pay for workers, food, sanitation and hygiene supplies.
Funding to provide inmates with access to free emails and calls until visits resume.

Funding to support state hourly wage workers across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches who are impacted by the coronavirus.

Issue a waiver for copays and other shared costs for testing and telehealth services, including for the uninsured.

Ensure that no essential health service is denied to a Missourian in need. That means no more kicking kids off their health insurance, making sure the uninsured are cared for, and that families can access the services they need regardless of their ability to pay.

Economic:

Form an emergency economic relief council to advise the state government on economic stabilization in the short term and recovery, as well as advise the government on the economic fallout of coronavirus and convene government and business leaders to marshal state programs and agencies to address coronavirus.

Ensure the economic relief council is empowered to transparently report how all federal and other funds are being used by the state of Missouri in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Suspend statutory hurdles to get unemployment payments to displaced workers quickly by ensuring all workers affected by coronavirus may receive unemployment payments, increasing the number of weeks workers are eligible to receive benefits, expanding the types of workers who are eligible, loosening restrictions on means testing to receive unemployment, and increasing the statutorily allowed amount of state unemployment payments.

Suspend foreclosures, evictions, and utility shut-offs including water, gas, electrical, and cell phones.

Leverage every available avenue to rapidly expand lending to businesses impacted by the pandemic.

Provide paid sick leave that at least matches the paid sick leave provisions in the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and, to the extent possible, have the state expand sick leave beyond the provided federal level.

“…Issue a statewide “Stay at Home” order, to help combat the spread of Covid-19…”

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (r) still has not issued a “stay at home” order for the state. Because, we don’t know, “rural, something, something.”

Governor Mike Parson (r) [2018 file photo].