Seven Midwestern governors announced on Thursday that they will coordinate on reopening their state economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, following similar agreements made in the Northeast and on the West Coast. This latest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky.
“We look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, data-driven approach to reopening our economy in a way that protects families from the spread of COVID-19,” the governors said in a statement. “Our No. 1 priority when analyzing when (is) best to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens.” The Midwestern alliance joins pacts on the West Coast and in the Northeast that were announced this week. All together, the 17 states covered by the partnerships are home to nearly half of the country’s population.
“Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region,” said the governors, who include five Democrats — Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Wisconsin’s Tony Evers, Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker, Minnesota’s Tim Walz, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear — and two Republicans, DeWine and Eric Holcomb of Indiana. They stressed it does not mean every state will take the same steps at the same time. “Close coordination will ensure we get this right,” said Evers, who on Thursday extended Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order until May 26.
