Last week, JLF’s Becki Gray made her regular appearance on North Carolina Public Radio WUNC with host Jeff Tiberii. Becki joined Rob Schofield from the N.C. Justice Center.
This episode covered all the ways North Carolina could be affected by the Coronavirus. Gov. Cooper declared a state of emergency last week in response to the COVID-19. He also recommended reconsidering events of more than 100 people. Host Jeff Tiberii asked Schofield and Gray their thought about his actions.
Schofield responded:
He is right. It’s clear that we should not have local gatherings… My church decided to postpone services until this is all over… By taking these actions, we have a chance, as they say to “flatten the curve.”
Gray chimed in:
I agree. We have mentioned what the governor has done, but, Jeff you did not mention the legislative announcements that have come out. [The General Assembly is] not in session until late-April but they were holding oversight committees and things like that… Those things have been called off.
Schofield added:
I care very much for the health of all the people in this legislative building, but there may be a need at some time before the end of April for us to take some important legislation to address the needs that will be coming up.
The three went on to discuss the Durham Performing Arts Center’s (DPAC) decision to stay open for another week of performances despite the Coronavirus outbreak. DPAC has since announced cancellations and postponements that you may view here. They also went on to discuss the approximate $2 billion in rainy day funds and how the economy will be affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.
This is a fast-moving story. Since the podcast aired, there have been many updates including an order from Gov. Roy Cooper to ban in-person dining.
Listen to the full recording here. Follow Becki Gray on twitter: @beckigray.
