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Wisconsin lawmakers urge Governor to make direct payments to farmers

A group of Wisconsin lawmakers supports using fifty million dollars sent to the state for coronavirus relief to make direct payments to farmers.

State Senator Howard Marklein and 35 other legislators wrote to Governor Tony Evers saying he should take the money from the 1.9 billion in the federal CARES Act to help farmers.  The letter says the legislators recognize that agriculture has not received the same financial support and prioritization from the Federal CARES Act as other types of businesses, and that’s why they strongly support the Ag-Industry’s request to provide Wisconsin farmers direct payments from the discretionary funds provided by Washington DC.

The lawmakers told the Governor he has a very unique opportunity to dedicate these dollars however he sees fit, and they asked Evers to prioritize agriculture and provide relief to the industry that is most in trouble right now.

Eight Wisconsin ag groups requested direct payment aid from the Governor about a week ago.  Interim Ag Secretary Randy Romanski says the proposal was discussed at the cabinet level, but it’s unclear how the U.S. Treasury will allow the states to spend the money.