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Mother's Day looks a lot different this year, but I want to take the opportunity to wish mothers everywhere a wonderful day. I hope that, even if you cannot be together in person, you are still able to connect with your loved ones this weekend.
Letter to Governor Walz
This week, I sent a letter to Governor Walz urging him to allow churches to make their own decisions on when they are able to open safely. Churches are a lifeline for many, and fellowship is an incredibly important part of many faith traditions. Churches offer support, companionship, and spiritual fulfillment for many, and to cut that off has been detrimental to communities across the state.
Churches, like the many businesses and other entities that are currently allowed to operate, are capable of creating safety plans and implementing measures to keep their members safe. I believe they are capable of making the best choice for their congregation, and we should trust them to implement measures to keep members and staff safe.
Moratorium on Elective Procedures Ends
I have heard from many people about the problems caused by the moratorium on many elective procedures and services. This week, Governor Walz ended that moratorium.
Hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and clinics will now need to provide a plan to maintain a safe environment for staff, patients, and visitors, as well as criteria for determining which procedures should proceed. Once those plans are in place, they will be allowed to resume many currently-delayed procedures.
I hope this week’s announcement will provide some relief for those who have had their procedures or surgeries delayed.
Emergency Livestock Mortality Program
This federal program provides $16 billion in direct payments to producers based on actual losses and for marketing costs resulting from a loss of demand. All farmers should be eligible if they can show that they suffered a loss.
The program is expected to help compensate farmers who need to destroy livestock because of plant closures and farmers who need to dump milk because of loss of markets. This PDF flyer explains much of the process and who is eligible. This process is still being developed and implemented, but hopefully money will start getting to producers by the end of the month.
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