By Senator Patrick Testin 

I believe Governor Evers’ decision to extend the stay at home order through May 26 is misguided and that he must reconsider in order to avoid the destruction of tens of thousands of lives.

Like many Wisconsinites, I’ve been watching the numbers, and I’ve been pleased at how well the virus has been contained; the outcome so far has not been as severe as predicted.

On March 24, DHS Secretary Designee Andrea Palm warned that without the closing of schools and the implementation of “Safer-at-Home,” the state would have 22,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and up to 1,500 of those cases being fatal.

As of today, Wisconsin has had a total of 3,875 coronavirus cases according to DHS. While our fight with the disease isn’t over yet, it’s time to start talking about how we can chart a return to normalcy.

(The April 16) order does exactly the opposite. Small businesses are the heart of our economy; over the last several days, I’ve talked with countless small business owners in central and western Wisconsin who are deeply concerned for the future – not only for themselves, but for their employees as well. Keeping Wisconsin’s economy locked down for another 40 days will have serious repercussions for our communities.

In recent weeks, nearly 400,000 people have filed for unemployment – that’s simply unsustainable. The Governor has to understand that just like a body cannot function without a heart, our state can’t function without our small businesses, our farms, or the people whose livelihoods depend on them. I would urge the Governor to meet with legislative leadership and members to strike a more effective solution.