|
Urgent Updates
Are there any new developments on another federal stimulus
bill?
Yes. Yesterday (September 28), Congressional Democrats announced a $2.2 trillion stimulus proposal as a final
effort to reach a deal with the White House and Senate before the election.
The HEROES Act includes $436 billion of funding for state and local
governments, $225 billion for education, renewed Paycheck Protection Program
loans for small businesses, a second round of $1,200 economic impact payments
per taxpayer, and additional assistance for airline industry workers, among
other things.
Further details on the funding for state and local governments
can be accessed here. Most notably, the HEROES Act would appropriate $179
billion to be divided evenly amongst cities and counties. The $89.5 billion
for cities nationwide would be allocated in accordance with a modified
Community Development Block Grant formula as follows:
- $62.65 billion for CDBG-entitlement municipalities
(generally defined as those with populations of at least 50,000);
- $26.85 billion for CDBG non-entitlement municipalities
(generally defined as those with populations of less than 50,000). Funds
would be awarded to states, which must make awards to non-entitlement cities
based solely on population within 30 days of receipt.
City funds received under the HEROES Act could be used for
COVID-19-related expenses, to replace foregone revenues not projected on
January 31, 2020, or to respond to negative economic impacts of COVID-19. New
city funds under the HEROES Act would be available until expended.
Additionally, the HEROES Act would expand the use of CARES Act Coronavirus
Relief Fund (CRF) revenue to cover lost, delayed, or decreased revenue
stemming from the COVID-19 public health emergency and extends the date of
expenditure for CRF funds to December 31, 2021.
It's probably safe to say that any stimulus legislation,
including the HEROES Act, faces an uphill battle at this point. That being
said, the Speaker of the House and the Treasury Secretary have been meeting
in recent days about stimulus proposals, so it is encouraging that
negotiations are ongoing.
What is the latest in the lawsuit to limit the governor’s
authority to expand early voting and the delivery of mail-in ballots for the
upcoming November election?
Last Wednesday (September 23), several state officials filed a
lawsuit challenging the governor’s authority to issue a July 27 proclamation extending the early voting period
for the November election by a week and expanding the timeframe in which
marked mail-in ballots may be delivered in person to the early voting clerk’s
office. Technically speaking, the state officials asked the Texas Supreme
Court for a “writ of mandamus” to prevent the secretary of state from
implementing the governor’s allegedly unlawful proclamation.
Yesterday (September 28), the attorney general and solicitor
general filed their response to the mandamus petition on behalf
of the secretary of state. In addition to a procedural argument about the
state officials’ standing to file the lawsuit, the attorney general and
solicitor general argue that the Supreme Court should deny the petition
because the secretary of state doesn’t enforce the proclamation or relevant
sections of the Texas Election Code, and therefore there is no ministerial
duty that the secretary of state could perform to remedy the alleged injury.
Further, even if there were something the secretary of state could do about
the governor’s proclamation, the Texas Disaster Act delegates reasonable
legislative authority to the governor, and the proclamation represents the
proper exercise of that authority.
Any other election lawsuit updates?
Sure, why not? Although it doesn’t pertain directly to cities
because it deals with straight-ticket voting for partisan elections this
November, it is worth mentioning the recent back and forth on the issue. On Friday (September 25), a
federal district judge in Laredo struck down a state law that passed in 2017
and was slated to go into effect for the first time this November that would
eliminate the long-standing ability of Texas voters to vote a straight-ticket
based on party affiliation. According to the judge, the elimination of
straight-ticket voting would “cause important delays at polling places, place
Texan voters at increased risk of catching a deadly virus, and discourage
voters, particularly those most vulnerable to the disease or under
significant economic pressure, from exercising their rights on election day.”
Yesterday (September 28), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
put a temporary hold on the lower court’s reinstatement of straight-ticket
voting while it takes up the case on appeal. So at this moment there is no
straight-ticket voting in the November election, as we await final word from
the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Further Updates
How can we help local retailers keep their doors open and
rebound?
Retail has been especially hard hit by the pandemic with many
beloved stores hanging out “for sale” signs as the virus forces permanent
closures. Innovations are helping the retail sector weather the challenges
with curbside shopping and delivery, but what does the future
hold? Listen in on “Retail Trends Post COVID-19” at the virtual TML Annual Conference and Exhibition on October 14 at
1:30 p.m. where C. Kelly Cofer and Aaron Farmer of The Retail Coach will
discuss how you can help foster a strong retail sector in your community.
Register to hear this presentation and view more than 30
other TML Annual Conference sessions related to recovery and resilience. The
deadline for early conference registration is Thursday, October 1.
|