U.S. Senate hopeful Jason Lewis held a small business roundtable in Crosslake. Several dozen business owners were in attendance representing many different interests in the northern region of the state. The roundtable was hosted at the resort, Boyd Lodge, which has been a family-owned small business for three generations.
Lewis has made many stops across the state for his “Open Minnesota Tour.”
Minnesota’s stay-at-home order was extended to May 18th by Governor Tim Walz. Lewis recognizes that this needs to be the last lockdown extension. He is advocating for resorts to re-open and restaurants to be able to utilize their outdoor patios for dining.
His extended family has had ties to the Crosslake and Whitefish Chain region for more than 60 years. “Sadly,” Lewis says, “many of the great mom-and-pop resorts here in Crosslake and around the state are on the brink of bankruptcy due to this government-mandated shutdown.”
Lewis personally spoke with many business owners in the Brainerd Lakes region and found they all share the same concern over the permanent closure of their livelihoods.
Lewis goes on to say, “summers in Minnesota are short, and resorts and small businesses rely on the summer tourism to keep their doors open. If we don’t get Minnesota re-opened soon, they might have to close their businesses – for good.”
“Many of these resorts have been in the family for generations. It would be a travesty to see lifetimes of work could go down the drain if we don’t get Minnesota working again. We can’t let that happen,” Lewis emphasized.
“This next two-week extension of the stay-at-home order (until May 18th) needs to be the end of this.” It is only reasonable that Minnesotans get back on their feet after this health and economic crisis, and for the Brainerd region, that means “resorts need to be able to re-open. Restaurants should be able to have their outdoor patios open for dining. People should be able to get out and enjoy their favorite Minnesota lake.”
Lewis highlighted that opening up our state’s economy can be done safely and responsibly, while ensuring that the vulnerable among us are protected. “Senator Tina Smith needs to stop cowering in place and stand up for Minnesotans who risk losing their life’s work. To deprive Minnesotans of the right to earn a living is not being a good leader,” Lewis concluded.
