Gov. McMaster: SC economy expected to be ‘humming, back in business,’ by June’s end
Aiming to get the state’s economy moving again after it has stalled under the weight of a global pandemic, Gov. Henry McMaster on Thursday announced plans to create a new task force that will include key state stakeholders from hospitality to manufacturing in hopes to get the state’s economy “humming” by the end of June.
McMaster said he will lay out details of his economic recovery plan, which he’s calling “Accelerate SC,” next week.
“By the end of June, we expect our economy to be humming,” McMaster said. “We expect to be well back in business by then.”
The coronavirus outbreak effectively forced McMaster to shut down many of the state’s businesses last month to help slow the spread of the virus, which causes COVID-19, a sometimes severe respiratory disease.
McMaster offered that optimism on a day when the state announced its highest single day count of new coronavirus cases at 276. The total case count now is 3,931 and the number of South Carolinians who have died due to the coronavirus is 109.
Asked to offer some details about how soon restrictions McMaster has put in place could be lifted, he said, ”I would like to say we’re going to be wide open by May 1. I don’t think we’ll be wide open by May 1.” He added that some elements of his plan to reopen businesses will take effect next week, after he releases the plan.
By order at the end of last month, the governor directed all nonessential businesses to close, including gyms, spas, nightclubs, barbershops and hair salons, museums, tourist attractions and bowling alleys. He also stopped dine-in eating at restaurants, only allowing takeout or delivery.
On Thursday, McMaster announced his plan to create a task force — called Accelerate SC — just minutes after he finished a more than an hour-long teleconference with other governors, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. The New York Times reported that Trump told the governors they could start reopening their states by May 1 or even earlier.
“You’re going to call your own shots,” Trump said in the call, reported by the Times. “You’re going to be calling the shots. We’ll be standing right alongside of you, and we’re going to get our country open and get it working. People want to get working.”
Trump was slated to announce new phased-in guidelines Thursday after he earlier announced a new task force that included U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott to get the U.S. economy going.
Those guidelines suggested schools closed should remain so and that large venues, including some restaurants, can reopen under social distancing directives. The first phase also mentioned gyms can open as long as people use social distancing, but bars should stay closed.
“We can tell around the country, the feeling is that the end is in sight,” McMaster said. “The mission is going as well as can be expected. There’s still a lot of work to do. We cannot let up. But the end is in sight, and we’re making progress.”
Trump drew ire this week when he proclaimed that he, not governors, held the authority to reopen the U.S. economy.
“The president has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful” Trump told reporters on Monday. “The president of the United States calls the shots.”
On Monday, McMaster said he had not felt any pressure from the Trump administration to reopen the state’s economy.
“He has not been given any pressure,” McMaster told reporters. “He’s asking for information.”
McMaster’s goal to start reopening the state’s economy had the backing of state commerce secretary Bobby Hitt.
Hitt said Thursday some of the state’s major manufacturers could restart business in May.
“We are ready for this,” Hitt said. “We have been planning it.”
No plans to move June primary, governor says
McMaster said he has no plan to move the state’s June 9 statewide primary, he told reporters Thursday.
The governor said he had confidence in existing voting methods, and there is no reason to change the primary date.
When asked by a reporter about how he would respond to people asking if they can vote absentee because of the pandemic — not an allowable excuse under the state’s absentee voter law — McMaster said the law would have to be changed to allow it.
If the Legislature believes it needs to be changed, “they will do that and I would be happy to comply,” he said.
McMaster on Thursday encouraged lawmakers to allow him to order them back at a time of their choosing, noting that as long as they return before the June 30 end of the state’s fiscal year, they can attend to much needed business, including passing a resolution to continue funding government.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 5:16 PM.
