Author: Samuel Wonacott
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U.S. Representative Tom Rice tests positive for coronavirus
On June 15, Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. In a Facebook post, he said his wife and son also tested positive for the virus. Rice has represented South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District since 2013. Ballotpedia tracks politicians and government officials who…
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Utah gubernatorial candidate Jon Huntsman tests positive for coronavirus
On June 10, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (R) announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Huntsman, who served as governor of the Beehive State between 2005 and 2009, is once again making a bid for the governor’s seat in Utah’s 2020 gubernatorial election. Huntsman wrote in…
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Judge rules that Tennessee must provide absentee ballots to all eligible voters on request
Ellen Hobbs Lyle, a judge on the Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, Tennessee, ruled on June 4 that the state must give all eligible voters the option to vote by mail in upcoming elections because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision is expected to be appealed. In Tennessee, voters can request an absentee ballot…
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All of Virginia now operating under Phase One of reopening plan
On May 29, Northern Virginia, as well as Richmond and Accomack County, moved into Phase One of the “Forward Virginia” reopening plan, leaving no part of the state under a stay-at-home order. The stay-at-home order ended for parts of the state on May 15, but Gov. Ralph Northam (D) delayed Northern Virginia’s entry into Phase…
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Delaware Governor will end travel restrictions June 1
On May 26, Gov. John Carney (D) announced that restrictions on travelers entering Delaware will expire on June 1, the same day the state is scheduled to begin the first phase of its reopening plan. Carney issued the restrictions, which require travelers who enter the state to self-quarantine for 14 days, on March 29 in…
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Michigan legislature asks state Supreme Court to take up lawsuit challenging governor’s emergency powers
On Friday, May 22, Republicans in the Michigan Senate and House asked the Michigan Supreme Court to consider a lawsuit filed by House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R) and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R) challenging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) emergency declarations issued in response to the coronavirus. A Michigan Court of Claims Judge ruled against…
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Illinois state representative tests positive for COVID-19
Illinois state representative Edgar Gonzales Jr. (D) announced in a Facebook post on May 18 that he had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Gonzales was appointed to represent District 21 in January, 2020, to fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Celina Villanueva (D), who was appointed to the…
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Travel restrictions on Brazil go into effect Tuesday
The White House on Sunday fast-tracked a proclamation prohibiting travelers from Brazil from entering the United States, moving the date the restrictions take effect from Thursday, May 28, to Tuesday, May 26 at midnight. The proclamation prohibits foreign travelers who have been in Brazil in the last 14 days prior to trying to enter the…
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Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann tests positive for COVID-19
On May, 21, 2020, Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann announced she tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Lehrmann made the announcement on Twitter, noting that her husband had also tested positive. Justices on the Texas Supreme Court are working remotely during the pandemic. Lehrmann is the first statewide Texas…
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U.S. extends travel restrictions on Canada and Mexico through June 22
On Tuesday, May 19, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced the U.S. would extend travel restrictions in place at the Canadian and Mexican borders another 30 days to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The restrictions, initially put in place in late March in coordination with both countries, closed the borders to nonessential travel.…