Reopening the Show-Me State
Four months ago, Missouri entered an economic lockdown of sorts in response to the COVID-19 virus. As our state began to see cases sprouting up in mainly urban areas, the governor issued several executive orders to address Missouri’s response to the virus. Around the state, many local municipalities and counties issued their own orders to address the issue.
Limiting group sizes and keeping six feet of distance between yourself and others were among the solutions many local governments took to try and slow the spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately, I believe some individuals went too far and used the virus as an excuse to shut down church services, as well as a firearms store in the Springfield area. In many of these cases, I took exception to these measures and worked to ensure your constitutional rights were not impeded.
Now that Missouri has officially reopened, I think it is incredibly important to support local businesses. These businesses have felt the full economic impact caused by the spread of COVID-19 and the stay-at-home orders. I’m afraid some of them may be forced to close permanently, and I do not want to see this happen. In my opinion, local businesses are essential to our economy. They provide more than high quality products and services, they are our neighbors and family members. If you can, please visit a local restaurant or store this week. I know they could use the help as our state begins the process of reopening for business.
I am hopeful that our economy will bounce back stronger than ever; however, we must realize that the virus is not gone. Despite the virus’ continued presence, life must go on. As we safely move forward as a state, I am confident that our economy will grow, our unemployment will go down and business owners and employees will be able to flourish through more personal responsibility and less government intrusion.
Thank you for reading this week’s legislative column. For more information on the Missouri Senate, please visit my office webpage at senate.mo.gov/burlison.