We have faced much adversity so far this year, but none of us could have imagined we would be in the situation we are in now. It has turned our lives upside down, but we are beginning the recovery process.

Last week, I shared my ideas with the governor in a letter calling for a regionalized restart. Dozens of lawmakers and other government officials from all over the state joined me by signing the letter, which you can read here. I was encouraged to see the governor embrace my proposal and allow 10 counties to begin implementing it. I also wish he had gone further.

As of this writing, we have 30 counties with fewer than 0.1 deaths per 1,000 citizens. We also have 25 counties with fewer than 1 confirmed case per 1,000 citizens. The data clearly shows many parts of the state are ready to move more quickly than others in this recovery process.

It seems our society has broken into two different camps and lines have been drawn. Some are fearful of the health impacts while others feel defeated by the economic struggles. Certainly, this has had an emotional impact on every one of us.

I liken the effects of this virus to a three-legged stool. There are health impacts, economic impacts, and emotional impacts. If we spend all our effort on just one leg, our stool will be out of balance. Similarly, our recovery plan must account for each of these three legs. We can save lives and livelihoods. This doesn’t need to be an either-or scenario.

Please Stay in Touch

As your state representative, I represent you all year long, and this will be the last email I can send this year due to election year restrictions. During the interim, however, I’ll be busy working on your behalf, resolving issues and developing solutions for our common problems.

You can still reach out to me because I am able to respond to constituents who contact me – and I encourage you to do so. It is vitally important I hear from you, especially when you disagree with me. I take great effort to ensure I hear from all perspectives in order to make informed decisions on your behalf.

So please, reach out via phone or email and let me know the issues impacting you and your families, your jobs, and your businesses. Let me know if there is a community event you’d like me to attend, or a business I should tour. Let me know if you’d like an in-person meeting to go over the issues. I am absolutely glad to do so.

Stay safe and be strong. It is an honor to serve you!