Don’t keep us in the dark, Gov. Inslee. Where does your COVID roadmap lead? | Editorial

When Gov. Jay Inslee announced his COVID-19 Roadmap to Recovery plan at the beginning of January, most everyone assumed his map would point all the way to fully reopening Washington state’s economy.

It was a reasonable expectation. After all, last year’s recovery plan went to Phase 4, which included gatherings of more than 50 people and the opening of concert venues and nightclubs.

But as it turns out, Inslee’s newest roadmap isn’t finished and the path forward is still under construction.

Inslee should not keep the state in COVID limbo.

People are more likely to follow the rules and push on if they have some expectation of the goals ahead and what it takes to get there.

Last week, Inslee kept every region in the state in Phase 2, which was a relief because it meant that no county would slip back to the more restrictive Phase 1.

But Inslee also said that the details for Phase 3 and Phase 4 were still being worked out and he did not have a date for when those guidelines would be released.

That announcement came as a shocking blow to people who have put their lives on hold for a year.

People are anxious and they need something to cling to. They need to see that their governor has a strategy for getting us to the end, not just partway.

And while we understand Inslee is concerned about how an emerging COVID variant could affect the state’s recovery plan, that is still no reason to delay setting out criteria for future phases.

For now, it appears that keeping the state in Phase 2 is the governor’s priority, and he seems in no rush to give people some idea of what it would take to move on.

This lack of a plan hurts many who are counting on some idea of what the governor is thinking.

High school seniors and their parents are wondering what kind of graduation ceremonies will be allowed in June. Couples who put off their 2020 weddings are wondering if the COVID rules for summer 2021 will be any different.

People who would like to plan anniversary parties and class reunions need some sense of how to proceed.

And most of all, business owners need to know at what point they can increase the number of patrons in their establishments.

Washington Hospitality Association President and CEO Anthony Anton is concerned about Inslee’s approach. He said on the group’s website that, “As we enter the second year of this pandemic, our operators are struggling to stay open. We can’t wait weeks when we know we can further reduce cases by providing safe, highly regulated outlets for gathering. … We must urgently work together in the coming days on the details of Phase III to ensure our state’s recovery.”

Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward is pushing Inslee to include Eastern Washington in the planning for Phase 3 and 4. She wrote on Twitter that “@GovInslee Eastern WA deserves a seat at the table to help develop a plan to safely move forward! Collaboration is a good thing. We’re in!!!”

Unfortunately, the majority of legislators so far appear content to let Inslee continue to have sole power over how the state manages the COVID pandemic. We are amazed that, as a governing body, state House and Senate members aren’t trying harder to put some kind of limit on the governor’s emergency powers.

Lawmakers need to ask themselves how they will feel if Inslee decides to keep the state in Phase 2 indefinitely, knowing they threw away their chance to rein in the governor’s power during this legislative session.

While Inslee has done a remarkable job guiding the state through the COVID pandemic, Washington state citizens should not be expected to blindly follow his lead for months on end.

If the governor wants people to have faith in his plan, he needs to let them in on it. And if he truly doesn’t have guidelines for Phase 3 and 4 by now, he needs to get cracking and figure it out.

This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 12:30 PM.