Ag Relief in Coronavirus Bill

Ag Relief in Coronavirus Bill

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett

After delays in signing the Coronavirus Pandemic Relief Bill, the Trump administration is racing to get relief checks out to struggling folks in Colorado and around the nation.

The $900 billion coronavirus aid package has some significant assistance for agriculture - including another round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments for producers.

The USDA’s Ron Bain has more of the details on the aid for ag.

Bain: “ ..assistance programs for the biofuel, dairy and cotton industries, grants for small livestock and poultry processors to meet federal food safety inspection standards as well as increased funding for the specialty crop block grant program. More money for the USDA’s Reconnect Rural Broadband Expansion Program.

And reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act to improve existing waterway infrastructure and study potential new products. “

Lawmakers also set aside billions more to ensure families can stay in their homes -- and transit agencies could literally keep the trains running on time.

Also this week, Governor Jared Polis extended two Executive Orders.

One of those is the State’s disaster declaration. The order declares a disaster emergency due to the impact of COVID-19 in Colorado. It also extends the employment of the Colorado National Guard to support and provide planning resources to State and local authorities as needed.

This extension of the Executive Order will last until January 26.

Governor Polis also extended an Executive Order on the framework for the COVID-19 Dial in Colorado. Each county or region is represented by a different color on the dial as a way to illustrate success in lowering the transmission of the virus. Colors represent levels of restrictions or limitations in those areas.

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