March Madness has taken on a literal meaning as the NCAA cancels all tournament games, NASCAR race stands are closing to the public, and every conceivable parade and special event is being postponed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The state legislature is also juggling to skip work early and take a paid vacation to self-quarantine and prepare for the coming pandemic by binging “The Walking Dead” on Netflix.
Spoiler alert: They don’t horde toilet paper or sanitary wipes in a zombie apocalypse, just guns and ammo.
But before splitting town, the legislature wants to take care of certain measures to ensure public safety and keep us all safe from harm.
Just kidding.
The rapidly changing situation prompted anxiety at the Capitol on Thursday, where lawmakers were told to be flexible but also to stay calm amid the uncertainty. In a matter of days the situation went from wait-and-see to a frenzy of closed-door meetings and action, mimicking the coronavirus’ rapid spread and the pressure it’s putting on state government.
We have a hard time believing an emergency exit is necessary as a public health measure.
Quite frankly, it’s time for folks in charge up there to show some backbone and stop scaring people into hoarding common household supplies or canceling their ski vacations.
Elected officials are coming dangerously close to crossing the line and scaring the U.S. into an economic slump.
And we know exactly who they will blame.
Instead of running around in a panic, lawmakers need to wash their hands and get back to work.