STATEMENT from Rep. Anderson re: stay-at-home order extension

State Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, issued the following statement Thursday after Gov. Tim Walz indicated his stay-at-home order for Minnesota will be extended to May 18, while allowing more retail businesses to open with restrictions. "Minnesotans have done a great job of remaining patient throughout this stay-at-home order, but this latest extension may be a step too far for many people in our state," Anderson said. "Businesses have been shut down for weeks and some may never come back. Many other workers are barely hanging on, more desperate every day for relief from these restrictions. Our Main Street businesses have suffered great losses while the major retailers have been able to remain operational. That is a real disservice to the local entrepreneurs who have been planning to safely open their doors and they deserve the same amount of trust as the big-box stores. We just can't afford to continue this shutdown another two weeks and I am very concerned how many more businesses will be lost for good by then."