Linked by geography and by similar experiences with the coronavirus pandemic, governors from Washington, Oregon and California are wise to join forces in formulating a response to the disease.
Last week, Gov. Jay Inslee joined fellow governors in creating the Western States Pact to coordinate plans for reopening their states’ economies. “COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness,” they wrote in a joint statement. “In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script … with our states acting in close coordination and collaboration to ensure the virus can never spread wildly in our communities.”
Other states have formed similar coalitions, with compacts being created in the Northeast and the Midwest. It would be preferable for such pacts to build upon a strong national playbook for a return to social and economic normalcy, rather than being created out of desperation. But the lack of a coherent federal plan — other than President Trump incorrectly insisting he has “total authority” — requires that states marshal their collective powers.
Along the West Coast, that can mean coordinated purchases of needed supplies such as protective masks for residents and protective gear for health care workers. It also can amplify the states’ calls for increased coronavirus testing, with an understanding that robust testing is necessary for the economy to return to anything resembling full strength.
Combining the purchasing power of Washington, Oregon and California — which total roughly 16 percent of the U.S. population — will enhance the ability of governors to procure what their citizens need.
Meanwhile, the governors will retain the ability to act in the best interest of their own states. In Washington, for example, Inslee has halted private residential construction and freed hundreds of prisoners in attempts to slow the spread of the virus — actions that have not been deemed necessary by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
The ultimate goal is to reopen the economy, to have citizens able to leisurely dine in public and shop at local businesses while adhering to safety protocols. But there will be risk involved when stay-at-home orders are lifted and people are allowed to gather. As New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo explained: “This has to be informed by experts and by data. You take one step forward, you see how it works, and then you measure the next step.”
Measuring those steps on a regional level will be more efficient than having closely linked states take a unilateral approach or having the federal government impose a one-size-fits-all approach.
Washington, Oregon and California were among the first states to be hit by the coronavirus and have taken similar steps to mitigate it, meaning they are in similar positions on the pandemic curve.
The Western States Pact is an innovative approach to addressing an unprecedented public health crisis. But it also can provide a framework for future cooperation once we have recovered from the pandemic. With the states sharing similar environmental and economic concerns, cooperation can be useful in dealing with climate change through emissions standards, or in forging international trade agreements.
For now, however, the focus is on the coronavirus and reopening the economy while remembering that we are in this together. As the governors wrote: “COVID-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries. It will take every level of government, working together, and a full picture of what’s happening on the ground.”
