Governors this Week: A Less Toxic NY Gov’s Office, FL, and TX Mask Mandates, OR HS Grad Requirements, WI Cyberinsurance

Hochul Vows Less ‘Toxic’ NY Gov’s Office:

New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said she is “fully prepared” to take over for the current Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) who announced he will step down on August 24^th.

“I want people to know that I’m ready for this,” she told reporters in her first press conference since Cuomo’s announcement. “It’s not something that we expected or asked for, but I am fully prepared to assume the responsibility as the 57th governor of the State of New York.”

Cuomo has been accused of sexual harassment by almost a dozen female staffers and others, accusations supported by a report issued earlier this month by state Attorney General Letitia James (D).

Cuomo has denied the allegations but has increasingly been on an island even among fellow Democrats after losing the support of legislative leaders and even President Joe Biden.

He has also faced intense criticism over his handling of nursing homes in the initial days of the pandemic as well as increasing scrutiny from James’ office over whether he forced staffers to work on a book for which he personally profited.

He was facing almost certain impeachment in the Assembly and conviction in the Senate had he opted to stay in office. It is unclear if that process will go forward now.

Hochul strongly emphasized she and Cuomo are “not close,” saying “I’ve been traveling the state and do not spend much time in his presence or in the presence of many in the state capital.”

She also vowed to change the culture around the governor’s office, which has often been described as being driven by loyalty to Cuomo above all else.

“At the end of my term, whenever it ends, no one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment,” she said.

Hochul declined to say if she would consider pardoning Cuomo from any criminal charges, calling such questions “premature.” (NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, REUTERS, NPR, CNBC)

GOP Govs Spar with Locals, Feds Over Masks:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) threatened to withhold salaries of local school officials who defy his executive order that bans them from imposing mask mandates on teachers and students. In response, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration is looking into whether it can cover any salary lost by administrators sanctioned over those mandates.

Meanwhile, two separate state district judges issued restraining orders that grant authorities in Dallas and Bexar counties temporary power to issue mask mandates in their locales. The rulings were a direct rebuke to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who issued an executive order in May barring local schools from issuing mask mandates.

Those rulings came days after a federal court sided with Norwegian Cruise Lines in its battle with DeSantis over his effort to bar businesses from requiring customers to be vaccinated. The preliminary ruling from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams said the cruise line would likely prevail on its argument that the Sunshine State’s “vaccine passport” ban jeopardizes public health and is an unconstitutional infringement on Norwegian's rights.

Both states are experiencing large upticks in COVID-19 infections: Texas has reported a 400 percent increase in COVID hospitalizations over the last month, while as of last Tuesday Florida had a state record 15,169 COVID hospitalizations.

OR Gov Quietly Signs Relaxed HS Grad Standards:

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) quietly signed a bill last month putting a moratorium on a requirement that students be proficient in reading, writing and math to graduate from high school.

The graduation requirements had already been on hold due to the pandemic, and SB 744 ensures they will remain so for three more years while the state develops new ones.

Brown spokesperson Charles Boyle lauded the suspension, saying the new standards would aid Oregon’s “Black, Latino, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color.”

Proposals for new requirements are due by September of next year, but because the state says it will not impose new standards on students who have already started high school, the earliest something new could be implemented is for the class of 2027.

The bill’s supporters say the current proficiency requirements are unfair to students who do not test well. Opponents counter that the state does not use any single standardized test for gauging proficiency in these areas, and in fact allows students to exhibit those skills over five different tests. Students also have the option to choose an in-class project instead of any testing.

Brown was strangely secretive about signing the measure, not holding a public signing session or issuing a press release even though she did so for the other measures she signed that day. Her office declined to comment on the matter further.

Brown also signed a measure earlier this month (SB 582) that makes the Beaver State the second to make packaging producers partially responsible for funding the recycling of their products. Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed a similar measure (HB 1146a) in July. (PORTLAND OREGONIAN, WASHINGTON EXAMINER, RESOURCE RECYCLING)

Pritzker Signs IL High-Speed Rail Measure:

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed a measure (HB 399) that will create a state high-speed rail commission tasked with developing a statewide plan for creating a high-speed line and feeder network connecting Chicago to St. Louis that will be integrated with existing Amtrak, Metra services and intercity bus service. The line is expected to also connect the cities of Rockford, Moline, Peoria, and Decatur. (ROADS & BRIDGES, PROGRESSIVE RAILROADING)

Evers Signs WI Cyber insurance, Police Excessive Force Measures:

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed a bill (SB 120) that bars Badger State police agencies from disciplining officers who report colleagues' use of excessive force. The measure further requires officers to report when they use force or when they witness their colleagues using force. Evers vetoed another measure (SB 119) that would have cut state funding to local governments that reduce police budgets for any reason.

Earlier in the month, Evers also signed SB 160, a bill that adopts stricter standards for insurance carriers to protect the personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) of policyholders. The measure details investigation procedures, data security program standards, and notification requirements. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL, CAPITAL TIMES [MADISON], HEALTH IT SECURITY)

 -- Compiled by RICH EHISEN