President Trump Approves Missouri Request for Federal Disaster Declaration and Governor Mobilizes National Guard

On Thursday, President Trump approved a request made earlier this week by Governor Mike Parson to declare a federal disaster in Missouri due to the coronavirus. The declaration by the president will make Missouri eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reimburse emergency expenses made at the local level in response to the health crisis.   

On Friday, Governor Parson signed an executive order mobilizing the Missouri National Guard to assist with the epidemic. "Mobilizing the National Guard will help us provide more immediate resources to our citizens and enhance Missouri's ability to overcome this global pandemic," he said.

The governor also asked the Senate to reconvene before the end of April to pass the supplemental budget bill passed by the House last week so that he can sign the bill and have additional funding to address the evolving situation. The Senate has not yet set a firm date for return, but we expect an answer on that soon. The Missouri House passed a supplemental budget bill late last week that provides an additional $40 million in funding for the current fiscal year ending June 30th for preparedness and response to the coronavirus.