Missouri Gov. Mike Parson suggested Tuesday he he isn’t enthusiastic about working with other states to reopen their economies in a coordinated way once the coronavirus crisis has passed.
“At the end of the day, you’re going to have to put your state first,” he said. “We’re going to approach that with what’s best for the state of Missouri.”
That’s the spirit, governor. We’re all in this, uh, separately.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly seems more open to cooperation. On Wednesday, she said she wants to “reduce confusion and help keep our community safe on both sides of the state line” by working with mayors and governors to make sure agendas are roughly congruent.
It’s the right thing to do.
Other states are working together, too. Their governors understand the spread of COVID-19 does not stop at the border. The only way to eventually reignite the economy is a coordinated approach to contain the disease while loosening the grip it has on businesses.
On the East Coast, governors from seven states have formed a loose alliance to discuss standards and guidelines for reopening. Out west, governors in California, Oregon and Washington announced an agreement “to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies,” according to a statement, “one that identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business.”
These efforts are critical. President Donald Trump’s proclamations notwithstanding, the nation’s governors and mayors will decide when to begin lifting emergency declarations and distancing orders issued as part of the fight against COVID-19. Kansas and Missouri must work together during the weeks ahead. They must do roughly the same thing, at the same time, in our region.
Kansas and Missouri must work together during the weeks ahead. They must do roughly the same thing, at the same time, in our region.
Here’s the truth: If one state removes all barriers to movement, while a nearby state remains locked down, the threat to the people in both states multiplies.
Kansas City-area residents who live in one state and work in the other could be put in an untenable position if, say, Kansas extends its stay-at-home order and Missouri declares that it’s open for business.
And, as a practical matter, those leading businesses and other entities such as schools and churches in a specific region will become frustrated and angry if they’re restricted in ways their cross-border competitors are not.
Govs. Parson and Kelly should jointly announce a public dialogue about the benchmarks and approaches their states will use in lifting stay-at-home orders and other precautions. They don’t need to agree on everything, and they of course retain legal authority in their own states.
But there should be room for a reasonable set of bistate standards for reopening: a decline in new cases and deaths, for example. Robust testing and tracing. The states should work to find that common ground.
Pressure to do just that is growing. On Monday, 43 Kansas legislators wrote Kelly demanding a “plan of action” for reopening the state. While the letter is presumptuous and premature, it indicates that the push to normalize public business will only grow in the days ahead.
Staff members for both governors are talking, which is a good start. But a virtual summit, and scheduled discussions, would make the process more formal — and more effective.
