State Can’t Fill Gaps Left by Federal Shutdown

Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Aric Putnam is continuing his farm tour across the state with stops in Oklee, Karlstad, Hallock and Waubun this past week. With the ongoing federal government shutdown, Putnam said it’s making for difficult conversations, especially when state government can’t pick up the slack. “When it comes to our interaction with the federal government, the numbers are so big that the state can’t compensate for things that the federal government decides not to do; we can’t take out the slack because the resources just aren’t there,” said Putnam. “The federal government’s getting punitive, that’s a real challenge.”