Tag: Lee Harris

Categories
News News Blog

Mayor Harris to Serve on National COVID Recovery Task Force

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Justin Fox Burks

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris is one of five elected officials across the country who will head a national group focused on rebuilding the economy in the wake of COVID-19.

The group, Renewing America Task Force, will work to promote state and local policy solutions related to economic recovery during and post pandemic.

Others serving on the task force include Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan Garlin Gilchrist II, Baltimore delegate Brooke Lierman, and Oregon treasurer Tobias Read.

“We are in the midst of one of the most transformative periods in history,” Harris said. “Fortunately, the NewDEAL and NewDEAL Forum have always provided opportunities for leadership, collaboration, and innovation. As we all fight the spread of COVID-19 and safely and responsibly navigate this new normal, we can recover and we can even emerge stronger.

“This group will help convene some of the most serious problem-solvers, examine what’s happening around the country and, most critically, point out best practices that will help shape the path forward. I am pleased to co-chair this vital initiative.”

Discussions of the task force will touch on topics such as increasing affordable housing, supporting entrepreneurs and local economic development, improving access to high-speed internet, and modernizing and strengthening the social safety net.

Additionally, the task force will address opportunities to remedy “long-standing inequities that have discriminated against people of color,” according to a statement from the NewDEAL Forum, the nonprofit that formed the task force.

The NewDEAL Forum works to identify and promote “innovative, future-oriented state and local pro-growth progressive policies.” Specifically, the organization seeks to foster economic growth, reduce barriers to opportunities, and promote “good government” across the country.

“In this moment of crisis, state, and local leaders are stepping up to offer bold and creative ways to protect their communities from the immediate fall-out of the pandemic, while recognizing that our goal should not be to restore America to its pre-pandemic condition,” said NewDEAL Forum CEO Debbie Cox Bultan. “Our country is desperate for leadership that addresses long-time injustices and inequalities that have been exacerbated by this virus, including by embracing the opportunity to tackle systemic racism.

“The Renewing America Task Force will provide a platform for developing and sharing the best ideas for our recovery among officials who can lead their implementation across the country.”

Beginning this week, the task force will meet monthly for in-depth discussions, in which members will identify short and long term concerns and hear from other elected officials and experts. Findings will be released after each meeting, which will be meant to help guide state and local policymakers in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first topic up for discussion will be the pending housing crisis, as millions face eviction amid high unemployment levels.

Categories
News News Blog

Bars, Prisons, Nursing Homes Could See More Virus Restrictions

CREDIT: City of Memphis/Facebook

City of Memphis/Facebook

A masked Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Department officer, delivering remarks during Tuesday’s briefing of the Memphis and Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task Force.

Bars, prisons, and nursing homes may see added restrictions in the next few days to stem the swell of positive virus cases in Shelby County.

Now, nearly 10.3 percent of tests for COVID-19 are coming back positive. That translates to new daily cases of around 200-300 people.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said Tuesday he hopes to avoid a return to Phase I of the Back to Business plan, which limited capacity at businesses around the county. However, additional measures may be added soon to help stop the virus’ spread.

When pushed to describe the measures, Harris said there were “several things under consideration” but new restrictions may be ahead for bars and places “where you see a lot of social activity.” Harris did not detail any new restrictions that may come.

He also said prisoners “need protection,” after rolling out a slate of new protections for them at correctional facilities under the county umbrella. Finally, nursing homes may get new restrictions, as they are the source of 40 percent of the county’s deaths, he said.

Harris said his administration is also now checking with state officials on whether the county has the authority to mandate the wearing of masks. Talks on the topic are new, he said, but “right now we do not believe the county has the that authority and [the county] only has it if the state tells us that.”

Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Public Health Officer, said that local hospitals have now reported less than 20 percent patient capacity — moving the needle from the green zone to yellow zone on capacity.

“We’re in the yellow zone but not deeply in the yellow,” he said. “We’re concerned but not panicking and we’re maintaining a watchful eye [on hospital capacity].”

Randolph opened and closed the day’s briefing of the Memphis and Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task Force with a note about the upcoming Independence Day holiday. He urged citizens to follow safety procedures like wearing a face mask or covering, washing your hands, and maintaining social distance.
[pullquote-1] “We’ve experienced increases with other holidays like Mother’s Day and Memorial Day,” Randolph said. “We are anticipating increases associated with the Fourth of July. But we’re hoping you prove us wrong and that we will stay safe and the things that will avoid infection.”

Categories
News News Blog

COVID-19: Harris Prepared to Move Back to Phase I, But It Can Be Avoided

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Justin Fox Burks

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said he is prepared to tighten virus restrictions on the economy and gatherings but it can be avoided “if everyone will do their part.”

Harris said in a Monday tweet that he was asked to return to Phase I of the Back to Business plan, the plan to reopen the economies of Shelby County and its cities. The request comes after days of record-high number of new cases throughout the county.

The request came from Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer. She said in a Monday letter to Harris, Shelby County Health Officer Dr. Bruce Randolph, and Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Alisa Haushalter that she was concerned about the rising numbers and requested a move back to Phase I or a modified Phase II.

COVID-19: Harris Prepared to Move Back to Phase I, But It Can Be Avoided (2)

“It is no secret that I felt we entered Phase II too soon and was even more concerned about us entering Phase III,” Sawyer said in the letter. “It feels the transitions are prompted by the ‘Back to Business’ model and not the overall capacity of our county to be safe from COVID-19.

“Back to Business should not be at the expense of people’s health. The numbers we saw this weekend, from record new cases to hospitalizations, say to me that we have moved too fast.”

The county and its municipalities headed into Phase II of Back to Business on May 18th. A week before that, the county’s overall positivity rate was at it lowest, 4.5 percent. That average grew in the four weeks following: 5.6 percent, 6.8 percent, 7.8 percent, to 9.1 percent. For this, and other reasons, county officials have stalled twice on Phase III, the plan that would further reopen the area’s economy.

Harris addressed all of this and Sawyer’s request in his tweet Monday:

COVID-19: Harris Prepared to Move Back to Phase I, But It Can Be Avoided

“There is probably no county in Tennessee (or, perhaps, our entire region) that has moved as slowly and as carefully as Memphis and Shelby County, and we are prepared to do even more,” Harris said. “If necessary, we are prepared to even return to Phase I.

“However, if everyone will continue to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19, we can avoid returning to Phase I. We are all in this together.”

In a later tweet about her request, Sawyer said, “a lawsuit from the people who got COVID-19 because the county didn’t take precaution? That would definitely be reasonable.”

Categories
News News Blog

County Corrections Testing Finds Six Inmates, 13 Employees Virus Positive

Surge testing of 700 inmates and 120 employees at Shelby County Division of Corrections facilities found six inmates and 13 employees who were positive for COVID-19.

The figures put the positivity rate among inmates at about .8 percent. The positive rate for employees, though, is about 10.8 percent.

Results of the testing were shared Friday morning by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.

No deaths were reported among inmates or employees. No inmates have been hospitalized, though none of them have yet recovered from the virus. Only one of the employees has not yet recovered.

The protection of inmates and other vulnerable populations remains one of our top priorities amid the current public health emergency,” Harris said in a statement. “We have reduced the risk of spread in our facilities by taking a number of steps to keep inmates safe.

“Inmates are given masks regularly and replacement masks upon request. We have also doubled the amount of hygiene supplies provided. Lastly, we conduct daily screening and temperature checks for anyone entering the facility and access is limited.

“We will keep these protections in place for the rest of the year or longer if needed to keep inmates safe.”

Find the full result here:

[pdf-1]

Categories
Politics Politics Beat Blog

Election Commission: No New Voting Equipment for This Year

Considering all the delays that have occurred in the drawn-out and contentious process of acquiring a new election system for Shelby County, this will not be the most surprising news: There will be no new devices — whether of the ballot-marking sort or of the hand-marked variety — for any county elections this year.

Word from the Election Commission is that, for several reasons, the federal/state primaries and the county general election scheduled for August will be performed on the county’s existing and outmoded machinery, and the same goes for the November election.

One of the reasons for the postponement, according to an EC source familiar with the thinking in the office of Election Administrator Linda Phillips, is uncertainty, at least in her mind, over the availability of funds allocated by the Shelby County Commission. Funding for a new election system was allocated last year by the county commission for the purchase of a new election system in the current fiscal year, but the money has not yet been appropriated.

Jackson Baker

Election Commissioner Linda Phillips

Phillips is said to believe that the funding process for new machines has been shifted to the coming fiscal year, 2020-21, but county commissioners involved in the ongoing process of determining the new budget said that was not the case. The administrator has told election commission members that no voting on any new system will occur until 2022 but that the state has committed to providing new scanners to accommodate the demands of increased mail-in voting this year.

There is still an element of suspense regarding the nature of the new election system, whenever it comes to be. The election commission recently accepted Phillips’ recommendation for the purchase of new ballot-marking devices from the ESS company, but considerable support still exists for hand-marked ballots, both in the community at large and on the majority-Democratic Shelby County Commission, which has the prerogative to appropriate the funding — and, arguably, to designate the type of machinery.

In any case, County Mayor Lee Harris has signed the necessary “intent-to-award” letter to allow the purchasing process to proceed. It remains to be seen when the county commission can cut through the current snags regarding budget calculations to address the matter.

Categories
Politics Politics Feature

Trump’s Reality Show and Other Matters

CREDIT: cnn.com

Did it actually happen, or did I just imagine it?

In my uneasy dream, Jerry Lewis — not the Last Man Standing, the roots artist with Lee as his middle name, but the late movie comic, the rubber-faced man of exaggerated whines and pratfalls — is at the Oval Office desk and seems to be in charge. I have no idea what this means, but it begins to make me feel strangely hopeful. Perhaps this is because I am still close enough to wakefulness to know that I am dreaming and to remember the reality of which showman it is who actually is the President.

And, as a I mull this over, I realize that I have fully awakened and am, in a strict sense, thinking, not dreaming any longer. And what I am thinking is summed up in the words “martial law.” And that is no joke. It is what Donald Trump had announced is in our future, courtesy of the 1807 “Insurrection Act,” and it is what we had gotten a strong precursory whiff of Monday evening when the president organized a massive clearing out of a harmless crowd demonstrating at a dutifully safe remove in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House.

Suddenly there were roaring motors, tear gas. Flash-bangs, rubber bullets, rampaging horsemen, and ranks of armed men advancing in as no-nonsense a way as you could imagine. Masses of bodies flying, fleeing, flung out of the way. All so the president, well known to be a man of no religion, could walk across the cleared space and hold up a prop Bible in front of a nearby church.

Where is Jerry Lewis when you need him? Or Jerry Lee, for that matter? Or anyone, anyone at all, living or dead, real or imaginary, who can offset this very real vision of soulless monomania, of pointless presumption, writ large?

Meanwhile, the coronavirus is still with us, with its ever-rising death toll and capacity to spike back into an uncontrollable health threat, especially when the tide of public anger has effectively abolished the concept of safe social distancing, which was already in rapid decline, on the streets of every major American city.

cnn.com

George Floyd

Here’s a thought: George Floyd. That’s a name that needs to be remembered for any number of reasons. In the first place, obviously, because of his horrific and needless murder by a white police officer, seen everywhere because everything is seen everywhere in this age of social media. As Rilke said in a great anticipatory poem, “For there is nothing that does not see you/You must change your life.”

Now consider what Floyd had done: He apparently tried to pass off a piece of amateurishly counterfeited paper as a $20 bill for some desired item at a sundry store. Which of us, in this age of an evaporating economy, might not at least fantasize performing such an act, although at a more substantial level for more substantial goods?

And consider the other racial homicide that had already outraged civilized opinion and frayed the historically heroic patience of African Americans — the assassination in Georgia by a trio of self-appointed vigilantes of the black jogger Ahmaud Arbery. And his crime? The only thing that has come to light is that he wandered onto a construction site and looked around for a minute or two.

Now, with those two horrors in mind, along with the ongoing urban disorders in progress from coast to coast, reflect on the fact of a piece of priority legislation before the newly reconvened Tennessee legislature — a bill, favored by our Governor Bill Lee, to allow the open carry of firearms in Tennessee without need of permit. Just what we need to cool tempers and restore peace and harmony, right?

Opposed by every law enforcement institution in the state, it’s already passed Judiciary and is advancing in the state House to the Finance, Ways and Means committee on Wednesday of this week. Something to look forward to.

Also scheduled for Wednesday, closer to home. The Shelby County Commission will make yet another attempt, in its third consecutive special called meeting, to reach agreement on a budget for fiscal 2021-22. In two previous orgies of number-crunching, Mayor Lee Harris and the county’s chief legislative body haven’t come close to agreeing.

Cheer up. For better or for worse, things do get done on Wednesdays. Or, at least, this week they’ll have a chance to. Also scheduled for possible resolution this Wednesday are two suits on behalf of expanding absentee ballot opportunities for this year’s elections, one from the local group Up the Vote 901, another from the ACLU. Those suits will be heard in Chancery Court in Nashville.

And on Thursday, in yet another suit — this one seeking release of prisoners afflicted by or vulnerable to COVID-19 — the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department has the opportunity to file its defense brief before presiding federal Judge Sheryl Lipman.

We’ll try to keep you posted on the outcomes in these matters, at memphisflyer.com. Meanwhile, do your best to stay awake — and in good health.

Categories
News News Blog

County Mayor Speaks Out Against Racial Injustice

County Mayor Lee Harris

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris spoke out against racism and advocated for criminal justice reform during a county COVID-19 task force update Tuesday.

Harris said the murder of George Floyd “tears back the veil of racial injustice, an issue that seems to worsen by the day.”

“African Americans have been too often racially profiled, pulled over, surveilled, and put in handcuffs,” Harris said. “I understand the pain and frustration of these experiences because I have had all of these experiences. All of us feel the echoes of 1968. However, history has shown that we can do unimaginable things in this community and in this country. We can face down COVID-19, we can restore our economy, and we can turn the page on racial injustice.”

Harris said racial injustice has to be addressed with a unified effort. Everyone has a role, the mayor said, noting that his administration will continue to push an “aggressive criminal justice agenda.”

“People of color, particularly African-American men, are too often caught up in a criminal justice system that tags them for life,” he said “The system devastates the ability of too many African-American men to ever fully enjoy the benefits of living in the greatest country on Earth.”

Harris said his administration has worked with the district attorney, judges, court clerks, and the sheriff to implement bail reform, which has “made a difference in hundreds and hundreds of lives of non-violent offenders who would otherwise spend months in detention.”

[pullquote-1]

Pre-COVID-19, Harris said the Shelby County detention numbers were the “lowest the county has seen in years,” passing an “ambitious goal” for bail reform set by Just City.

“We will do even more to change this system,” Harris said, noting that he will go before the Shelby County Commission this week to advocate for “Ban the Box,” which will help those with criminal history get jobs.

“Too often African-American men with criminal histories have been held back and kept from getting jobs,” Harris said.

The mayor added that he is prepared to meet with any activists or protesters to take a step toward “real action that will drive real change.”

“In Shelby County, we’ve had hundreds of protesters demand to be heard and who have lifted up important concerns,” Harris said. “I hear you. In fact, leaders across the state hear you.”

Categories
Politics Politics Feature

Numbed by the Numbers: County Commission Struggles to Agree on Budget

CREDIT: Jackson Baker

Separate attempts to produce a budget for Shelby County failed to produce anything resembling a consensus on a marathon meeting day of the County Commission on Monday. Commission Chairman Mark Billingsley said he intends to call a special meeting for next week to see if the process can be expedited.
Jackson Baker

Commission Chairman Mark Billingsley

Billingsley told his fellow commissioners the called meeting would likely be necessary in the interests of reaching agreement on a budget, with the new fiscal year just around the corner on July 1st.

The Memorial Day holiday next week forces an adjustment of the normal schedule, which would mandate a day of committee meetings during the week, preparatory to the next regular commission meeting the week after. The holiday forces the entire sequence to occur a week later, with committee meetings scheduled for June 3rd and the next regular public meeting to be on June 8th.

Hence the need for a called meeting, especially since Monday’s meetings — a special called budget meeting, starting at 11 a.m., followed by the regular Commission meeting at 3 p.m — became embroiled in complications that were still unsnarled when the commission adjourned at nearly midnight.

“We’re getting into another day,” said budget chair Eddie Jones wearily, with the clock moving toward the witching hour and one of the Webinar meeting’s participants, an administration staffer participating from home and having to alternate her contributions with soothing words for a restless two-year-old. “That sounds wonderful,” was the wistful comment of Commissioner Mick Wright on this audible reminder of a domestic life beyond numbers-crunching.

Various formulas have been adduced for dealing with a looming budget deficit that had looked to be as large as $10 million even before the effects of the coronavirus crisis pushed things even further into fiscal crisis.

In mid-April, County Mayor Lee Harris had proposed a $1.4 billion “lean and balanced” budget, with $13.6 million in specified cuts offset by a $16.50 raise in the county’s motor vehicle registration tax, a.k.a. the wheel tax. A majority of commissioners could not be found to agree, and alternative budget proposals, all with different versions of austerity, have since been floated, one by Commissioner Brandon Morrison, another by budget chair Jones, working more or less in tandem with vice chair Edmund Ford.

Among the issues raised by Monday’s day-long discussion was that of whether, as county Chief Financial Officer Mathilde Crosby contended, the proposals offered by Jones and Ford focused overmuch on cuts in administrative departments, thereby paralleling what has been something of a running feud between Harris and Ford based, as more than a few observers see it, as a potential long-term political rivalry between the two.

Crosby also offered criticism that the Jones-Ford proposals for budget-cutting ignored distinctions between the county’s general fund and various dedicated funds for mandated functions.

Another potential issue is that of the county tax rate, currently pegged at $4.05 per $100 of assessed value. Commissioner Reginald Milton, for one, believes that the rate is set artificially low because of simple mathematical error and that this factor is bound to doom the county to endless future variations of the current budget scramble until the rate is recalculated. The current rate has so far been reaffirmed in two of the three readings required for passage.

The budget issue is predominating over other matters, though the commission did reach an agreement Monday on what had been a controversial proposal by Commissioner Tami Sawyer for an ordinance requiring, on penalty of $50 fine, that residents and visitors wear protective face masks in public areas. Sawyer recast her proposal in the form of a resolution requesting such a requirement by the Health Department but providing for no fine. The resolution passed 8-5 on a party-line vote, with the Commission’s Democrats voting for and the Republicans voting against.

Another matter of consequence that awaits the commission is the matter of new voting machines for Shelby County. The commission has twice voted a preference that the county invest in a system of hand-marked paper ballots in time for the August county general election and federal-state primaries, but the Shelby County Election Commission has approved the recommendation of Election Administrator Linda Phillips that new ballot-marking machines from the ES&S Company be purchased instead.

With the elections approaching, the need for a decision soon increases. The process requires that Harris sign an order authorizing the purchase of a new system, after which the commission must vote for its funding. At issue is whether the commission will approve the Phillips/SCEC request or act according to its own preference for the hand-marked system.

A sizable and well-organized group of local activists is pushing for the latter option, on grounds, among others, that a system of hand-marked ballots would be cheaper, more transparent, and less vulnerable to hacking.

Other, related aspects of the controversy include allegations from the activist ranks of potential conflicts of interest involving Phillips and family members and a concern that purchase of the ES&S machines would involve an implicit need to purchase a new voter-registration system from the same company.

Categories
Politics Politics Feature

Commission Gets $1.4 Billion “Lean” Budget from Harris

CREDIT: Jackson Baker

Here’s one for you: What’s the difference between $10 million and $13.6 million?
The answer to that is two weeks. In that amount of time, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris raised the floor on what he considered the minimum amount of spending cuts needed in the county’s 2020-2021 budget year.

On April 6th, Harris presented a plan to the Shelby County Commission calling for $10 million in cuts, spread among various departments of county government. In a lengthy discussion of alternative methods of reducing the budget, the commission decided to put off action on Harris’ plan.

In the meantime, the mayor has recalculated and increased the tab for what he considered necessary as a means, without raising taxes, to get the county through the dismal current reality of continued shutdown followed by uncertainty. Actually, Harris did propose a mite of increased taxpayer obligation to accompany his proposed austerity budget revealed on Monday — a “lean and balanced” one of $1.4 billion. The increase would be in the form of a $16.50 raise in the county’s motor vehicle registration tax, a.k.a., the wheel tax.

This is the second time of late that the wheel tax has figured as a component of a plan by Harris to raise revenue. The first time was earlier in the year when the mayor proposed an incremental increase in the wheel tax to finance a new contribution to the Memphis Area Transit Authority in the interests of expanding MATA’s purview.

Objections to that proposal from various commissioners and members of the public — no few of them noting that the wheel tax, as originally conceived, was meant to be restricted to education — scuttled that approach and forced the county to find other means to fund its MATA contribution.

But now it’s baaack! And, as repurposed in the mayor’s budgetary plan, it drew more tentative fire than before, with Republican Commissioner Brandon Morrison, who said she could support the precedent, nevertheless invoking the dread metaphor of “the slippery slope.”

Firmly but a bit apologetically, Harris pointed out that Shelby County’s property tax, sales tax, and hotel-motel tax were all at levels too high to push any further and that the county’s automobile license tax was at an “average enough level among equivalent state fees” that it had the right amount of give.

The two other components of the mayor’s austerity budget involved the aforementioned $13.6 million in cuts and a $6 million borrowing from the county’s fund balance, leaving that reserve fund at the comfortable go-no-lower level of $85 million.

Under probing from various commissioners, Harris defended his recommendations by saying explicitly that without cuts of the sort he proposed, the county would have to go up on taxes — “it’s one or the other” — and might have to impose layoffs, also.

Democratic Commissioner Tami Sawyer voiced a concern that, even should Harris’ cuts be adopted, layoffs might be around the corner.

The mayor’s proposed budget would shore up the target areas of health, public safety, and the social safety net, and it contains several new or protected expenditures — approximately $4 million to fund 30 new additional patrolman positions in the Sheriff’s Department, needed “to patrol the soon-to-be de-annexed areas” of Memphis; a second dose of $8.5 million to Pre-K and early Pre-K, as well as “$427 million for schools, in addition to $33 million in school construction needs this year.”

The budget also contains commitments for funding continued actions for relief and treatment during the COVID-19 epidemic.

The commissioners, who rejected the specifics of a hiring freeze proposed two weeks ago by Harris and resisted at the time by county department heads, adopted one of their own on Monday — a more lenient version that would freeze hiring and spending through June 30th but contained appeal procedures that Harris said made it a “soft freeze” compared to what had been his “hard stop.”

The freeze adopted Monday was sponsored by Republican commissioners Mick Wright and Morrison and got the seven votes needed for passage, with most Democratic commissioners either voting no or abstaining. 

Without being specific, Democratic Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr., a persistent critic of the mayor, compared Harris’ projected plans to some adopted in 2014 by the Memphis City Council on which both he and Harris served. Those financial arrangements would lower the county’s bond rating and draw the attention of the state comptroller, Ford said.

In related action on Monday, the commission unanimously approved the county tax rate for 2020-2021 — keeping the rate at its current level of $4.05 per assessed value of $100.

The commission also voted 7-4-1 in favor of a resolution, sponsored by Democratic commissioners Tami Sawyer, Michael Whaley, and Van Turner, requesting Governor Bill Lee to sanction no-excuse absentee voting for the duration of the coronavirus shutdown and expressing a preference for machines allowing voter-marked ballots. That vote was more or less along party lines — 7-5-1, with Democrat Ford joining several Republicans in opposition.

Online Glitches
Commissioners and other personnel participating in the commission’s meetings have by now gotten used to the webinar means of virtual electronic communication, whereby each participant tunes in from separate computer stations and discussions proceed more or less along the lines of Robert’s Rules of Order.
Jackson Baker

Mark Billingsley

But their familiarity has another side to it — highly noticeable Monday when a few commissioners allowed their lines to stay open during discussion, thereby picking up traces of private conversation and domestic soundtracks.

That fact, along with technological glitches in the presentation of the Harris budget, complicated the process of communication on Monday and kept GOP commission chair Mark Billingsley calling for order in that regard. 

Categories
News News Blog

County Stay-At-Home Order Extended, New Grocery Hours for Seniors

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has extended his stay-at-home order for an additional seven days and has mandated grocery stores provide special hours for certain shoppers.

The order extension came after a phone call with Harris and the mayors of Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Memphis, Millington, Lakeland, and Germantown. The order has to be renewed every seven days.

“We are working every day on confronting the most significant public health event in our community in 100 years,” Harris said in a statement. “This week, all of the mayors in Shelby County agreed to renew our respective executive orders as we continue to work to flatten the curve and stop the spread of COVID-19.”

Harris has also included new hours for seniors and others to the order. All essential grocery stores must now provide at least one hour of controlled access to shoppers 55 and older and to those who have serious underlying medical conditions.