No disaster here? Misguided Missouri lawmaker wants to end COVID-19 state of emergency
Missouri state Rep. Mike Moon — yes, the same Mike Moon who beheaded a chicken on Facebook — now thinks the coronavirus crisis is over.
In fact, Moon apparently believes coronavirus was never a serious threat to health or safety. He has introduced a resolution calling for the “immediate termination” of the COVID-19 state of emergency in Missouri.
“The governor’s declaration of (a) state of emergency was improper on the grounds that no natural or man-made disaster of major proportions has actually occurred,” the resolution says.
As of Tuesday, 189 Missourians had died of the coronavirus, which spreads through community contact. More than 5,900 Missourians had tested positive for the deadly disease.
Those numbers, bad enough, will soon get worse. Sickness and death still plague the state and will grow quickly if officials prematurely tell residents to mingle freely and engage in nonessential commerce, as protesters in Kansas City and Jefferson City have urged.
Moon spoke at Tuesday’s Jefferson City anti-shutdown rally.
But make no mistake — Moon’s resolution would do far more than “reopen” Missouri to business and rapidly spread COVID-19. Canceling Gov. Mike Parson’s emergency declaration would rob the administration of essential tools to respond to outbreaks in the days ahead, even if some restrictions are lifted.
Like most governors, Parson enjoys wide, temporary latitude in the face of a natural disaster. State law allows the governor to implement “all plans, rules and regulations” related to emergency management, including coordination of response among local agencies and the state.
The governor can direct activities in connection with health and medical care, education, child care, nutrition, housing, recreation and consumer protection. The governor can “perform and exercise such other functions, powers and duties as may be necessary to promote and secure the safety and protection of the civilian population,” according to the law.
These powers are extraordinary and must be used carefully and sparingly. To date, and to his credit, Parson has avoided broad seizures of authority as the state has responded to this crisis. If anything, he has been too timid in fashioning Missouri’s efforts.
The laws giving Parson the authority to respond to a natural disaster such as the coronavirus were put in place by the people’s representatives because quick action is often required in the face of calamity, be it a tornado, a flood, or a killer disease. The tools are meant to be used when they are needed.
Missouri, like the rest of the nation, is in the middle of a battle with a killer. To suggest otherwise, as Moon has, is foolish on medical grounds and takes aim at the necessary framework put in place to respond to an emergency.
Arguments will continue over when the state’s economy should reopen and when orders restricting movement and nonessential businesses can safely be lifted. Parson has extended his stay-at-home order until May 3, which roughly coincides with guidelines offered by President Donald Trump in early April.
Kansas City’s stay-at-home order expires May 15. That seems reasonable, given the elevated COVID-19 risks in urban areas.
In about two weeks, Missourians can have a good conversation about what could open and what should not. But no one in his or her right mind would think the emergency is over, or that there never was an emergency in the state in the first place.
State lawmakers should ignore Moon’s resolution when they return, unwisely, to Jefferson City next week.