BOTTOM LINE

States Reopened Too Early Due to Pressure From Businesses, Says Report

Emails revealed that business associations had a heavy hand in planning reopening procedures in some states, in some cases overriding state health departments.

Governors across the country reopened their states against public health guidance after sustained lobbying from businesses, according to an investigation from the Associated Press. Many states opted to reopen before they met the federal reopening guidelines, and the AP has obtained thousands of pages of emails which show the extent to which businesses designed their own reopening schedules. For example, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster reportedly received an email from the state’s health department urging him not to reopen restaurants for indoor dining and other businesses on May 11, but proceeded with the plan to reopen on that date. The reopening plan, including the date, was reportedly written by the state restaurant association. The guidelines also made masks optional for employees and allowed more customers inside than experts advised. Business associations in Washington, North Carolina, and New Hampshire, were also influential in governors’ reopening plans.