Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces team to restart the economy, loosens some restrictions

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By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune April 17, 2020

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces team to restart the economy, loosens some restrictions

By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune April 17, 2020

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces team to restart the economy, loosens some restrictions” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday announced initial steps to begin the process of reopening the Texas economy during the coronavirus pandemic, including those that in the next week will loosen surgery restrictions at medical facilities, allow all retail stores to provide product pickups and reopen state parks.

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Abbott also named a “statewide strike force” devoted to getting the economy going again. Austin banker James Huffines will chair the task force, while veteran lobbyist Mike Toomey will be its chief operating officer. The group will oversee what Abbott described as a phased reopening.

The first phase came in a series of executive orders issued Friday. One order allows for product pickup at retail stores — what Abbott described as “retail-to-go” — that will begin April 24. Outlets will be allowed to bring orders straight to customers’ cars in a manner similar to how many restaurants are currently offering curbside pickup.

Another order, which goes into effect 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, will allow a limited amount of nonessential surgeries at hospitals, as long as those surgeries don’t deplete the hospitals’ supplies of personal protective equipment and allow the facilities to keep at least 25% of their capacity available for the treatment of patients with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

A third order will allow state parks to open Monday. Visitors to parks will be required to wear masks and keep a safe distance from people outside their households.

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Additional openings will be announced April 27 “after further input from medical staff,” Abbott said.

“Even more openings will be announced in May when it is determined that the infection rate continues to decline and when testing capabilities are sufficient to test and contain” outbreaks of the virus,” he said.

Abbott didn’t say what those later openings would entail. He did announce, however, that schools — public schools, private schools and universities — will remain closed for the rest of the school year.

State officials, including Abbott, have lately struck a more optimistic tone about the state of the pandemic. While continuing to decry the loss of life, Abbott has noted in recent days that social distancing measures appear to have slowed the spread of the virus.

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“We’re now beginning to see glimmers that the worst of COVID-19 may soon be behind us,” he said Friday. “We have demonstrated that we can corral the coronavirus.”

Still, he stressed that the process of reopening will be “guided by data and doctors.”

“If the data continues to show a flatlining and then a decline” in positive tests, “that is a signal that we can begin the process of opening up some businesses that adhere to the strictest strategies that will reduce the spread of the coronavirus,” he said.

One thing that could delay the broader reopening of the economy is the availability of testing. The number of tests done in Texas stands at 169,536, according to the state figures. That continues to amount to a tiny fraction of Texas’ nearly 29 million people, fueling concerns about how state leaders can track the virus or know the full extent of the outbreak.

Citing recent talks with the White House, Abbott said Texas would be receiving a “dramatic increase” in testing — “not just testing those who may show symptoms, but also being able to test entire communities so that we have better information.” Pressed on specific numbers and a timeline, Abbott said Texans can expect a “massive amount of testing capability coming to Texas by late April or early May.”

The state’s task force will feature a handful of leaders in the medical field and more than 30 business executives. Huffines, the chair, previously served as Central and South Texas chairman of PlainsCapital Bank in Austin. From 2003-10, he served on the University of Texas System Board of Regents, including two stints as chair.

Toomey, who will be the top full-time staffer for the group, is best known as a close adviser to former Gov. Rick Perry, for whom he was chief of staff. Toomey, a former state representative, also was chief of staff to ex-Gov. Bill Clements. Toomey is currently a partner at Texas Lobby Group.

Abbott’s news conference came as the number of coronavirus cases in Texas climbed to at least 17,371, including 428 deaths, according to the latest numbers from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Out of Texas’ 254 counties, 192 are reporting cases.

In recent days, Abbott has faced pressure from some in his own party to reopen the state’s economy, while Democrats have argued Texas is nowhere near ready to do so, citing the testing numbers. Among the Republicans agitating for a return to normal have been President Donald Trump and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who formed his own task force on restarting the economy 10 days ago.

Abbott, for his part, began previewing late last week the executive order that he issued Friday.

Disclosure: James Huffines, the University of Texas System and Plains Capital Bank have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Special Advisory Council members include:

Paul Andrews, Jr.: Founder and CEO, TTI Inc.

Scott Dueser: Chairman, President & CEO, First Financial Bank

Drayton McLane: Chairman, McLane Group

Ross Perot, Jr.: Chairman, The Perot Group

Sam L. Susser: Chairman of BancAffiliated, Inc.

Sanjiv Yajnik: President of the Financial Services Division, Capital One

Arcilia Acosta: President and CEO, CARCON Industries & Construction

Mark Bivins: Rancher, partner in Corsino Cattle Company

Kathy Britton: CEO and Owner, Perry Homes

Brad Brookshire: Chairman and CEO, Brookshire Grocery Co.

J. Bruce Bugg, Jr.: Chairman, Texas Transportation Commission 

Alonzo Cantu: President & CEO of Cantu Construction

Bobby Cox: Owner and operator, Bobby Cox Companies, Inc.

Adriana Cruz: Executive Director, Economic Development & Tourism Division, Office of the Governor

Michael Dell: Chairman and CEO, Dell Technologies

Don Evans: Chairman of the President George W. Bush Foundation, Chairman of Permian Strategic Partnership

Tilman Fertitta: Chairman, CEO, and sole owner, Landry’s, Inc.

Richard Fisher: Senior Advisor, Barclays and Former President & CEO, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Rick Francis: Chairman of the Board, WestStar Bank Holding Company, Inc.


Printice Gary
: Founding Partner/Principal and CEO, Carleton Companies

Brad Heffington: Owner of Heffington Farms, Inc. and Triple T Irrigation, Inc.

Jeffery D. Hildebrand: Executive Chairman and Founder, Hilcorp Energy Company

Nancy Kinder: President & CEO, Kinder Foundation

Tom Luce: Founder and Chairman, Texas 2036

Marc McDougal: CEO, McDougal Companies

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale: Owner, Gallery Furniture

Elaine Mendoza: Founder, President & CEO of Conceptual MindWorks, Inc

Balous Miller: Owner, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Restaurants

Carla Moran: Ramar Communications

Dennis Nixon: CEO and Chairman of International Bank of Commerce

David Oliveira: Partner at Roerig, Oliveira & Fisher, L.L.P.

Kevin D. Roberts, Ph.D.: Executive Director, Texas Public Policy Foundation

Robert B. Rowling: Owner and Chairman, TRT Holdings, Inc.

Kendra Scott: Founder and CEO, Kendra Scott

Robert F. Smith: Founder, Chairman & CEO, Vista Equity Partners

Massey Villarreal: CEO and President, Precision Task Group, Inc.

Kirk Watson: Founding Dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs

Marc Watts: President, The Friedkin Group

Graham Weston: Former Chairman of Rackspace Hosting Inc.

For more information about the Governor’s Strike Force to Open Texas, visit the strike force webpage.