MARQUETTE — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday released a statement after the Michigan Legislature passed her stimulus plan, which includes $55 million to help small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grants of up to $20,000 will be made available to small businesses across the state that need support this winter. The relief bill also includes $3.5 million for grants of up to $40,000 each for live music and entertainment venues, and includes $45 million in direct payments to workers who have been laid off or furloughed as a result of the coronavirus, with a direct focus on restaurant and hospitality workers.

“I proposed this stimulus plan to the legislature in November because I know how much our families, frontline workers and small businesses need relief as we head into the winter,” Whitmer said in a statement. “This bipartisan relief bill will provide families and businesses the support they need to stay afloat as we continue working to distribute the safe and effective vaccine and eradicate COVID-19 once and for all.”

Whitmer stressed more work is needed to overcome COVID-19 and grow the economy, and urged Michigan residents to still use face masks, practice safe social distancing and avoid indoor gatherings where the virus can easily spread from person to person.

“And I urge everyone who is still doing last-minute holiday shopping to buy local to support your favorite businesses and restaurants,” she said.

The governor first sent a letter to the Michigan Legislature to pass a $100 million relief bill on Nov. 25.

Cambensy responds

State Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, has issued a statement explaining her support of small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon announced last week that they would be extending a revised version of the state’s epidemic order allowing certain activities to resume, while maintaining restrictions on local restaurants and small businesses.

In response to the revised order, Cambensy, who recently voted in favor of Senate Bill 1253 to require legislative approval to allow epidemic orders to continue after 28 days, called on Whitmer and Gordon to work more closely with legislators and other elected officials to better allow small business owners to be involved in making decisions.

“Last night, I joined my Republican colleagues in voting yes on restricting the amount of days the governor can issue emergency orders through MDHHS to 28 days,” Cambensy announced on Friday. “After that, the Legislature must approve any extension of those orders.”

Cambensy stressed this is not a “power grab,” but what she believes to be the best way to allow the governor’s office, legislators, health care experts and small business owners to work together to find solutons.

She also expressed concern for businesses in the Upper Peninsula.

“Our small businesses in the U.P. are barely hanging on, especially our restaurants, and they are willing to follow through with increased safety protocols recommended by our medical experts,” Cambensy said.

She noted that Michigan’s leisure and hospitality sector, which includes the restaurant industry, has been especially battered by COVID-19, declining as much as 32% as of October compared with 2019.

Though Michigan has lowered the rate of new cases in recent weeks more rapidly than its Midwestern neighbors, many local small businesses are struggling to survive, Cambensy said.

“We have to give our small businesses a fighting chance right now to prove they can be creative and innovative to help us keep people safe,” she said. “This doesn’t have to be an either/or situation where we have to choose health over business. We can do both.

“Consistently saying no to some businesses and not others, and providing little to no evidence of outbreaks for those restrictions has created growing resentment towards government. We can do better, but we have to come together. This legislation provides a reasonable, common sense solution.”

Beware of COVID scams

The Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress’ Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program warns people that if they receive a phone call from someone acting like a Medicare representative asking for their personal information, bank details or Medicare number, it’s a scam.

UPCAP recommends people not to give personal information or money, and not even to worry about being rude or embarrassed. It also stressed the callers are not going to give away free equipment or put people on a COVID-19 vaccine list. Instead, they want only people’s information for identity theft.

UPCAP urges people to initiate the call to Medicare, and then make sure they’re calling the correct number to talk to Medicare directly and report it to them.

It also said people cannot pay to put their names on lists to get the vaccine early.

Medicare scams can happen to anyone, it noted, but if people tell others around them, they might keep it from happening to them. Recipients of the scam calls should hang up and report the calls to 1-800-MEDICARE or ftc.gov/complaint.

Survey focuses on charter fishing

Preliminary results from a Michigan Sea Grant survey show revenues from charter fishing boats were down over $6 million from 2019, but fishing had started to rebound by late summer.

In addition to high-water levels and the typical ups and downs of fish populations and weather patterns, charter captains faced the COVID-19 pandemic and its related restrictions.

During the early part of the season, the fishery basically was shut down, with captains who focused on spring fisheries for walleye and steelhead the hardest hit.

Because of the time of the stay-at-home orders and restrictions on motorized boating, captains who focused on spring fishing lost their entire season, according to Sea Grant. By the end of June, 32% of captains had not taken a single charter fishing trip during the year. After restrictions were relaxed later in the season, charter fishing provisions from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources were updated in August to clarify that charter boats could operate legally — even if social distancing wasn’t possible onboard — as long as masks were worn.

Due to declining trip numbers, revenues from charter fees also dropped substantially, Sea Grant said. The average captain lost $10,711 in revenue during this season, meaning that the state’s charter fishing industry as a whole lost $6.05 million in charter fees this year.

Sea Grant pointed out that $300 million in federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act was specifically earmarked for assistance for marine fisheries participants, including charter boat operators. Under Section 12005, many states and territories were allocated between $1 million and $50 million, but Michigan was left out because Great Lakes fishery assistance was not included.

Sea Grant said that as Congress debates a second round of stimulus funding, future funding might help to alleviate financial difficulties experienced by Michigan charter operators.

Bishops issue statement on vaccines

Michigan Catholic bishops, including the Most Rev. John Doerfler, bishop of Marquette, have issued a statement on COVID-19 vaccines.

“At the time of this writing, the Food and Drug Administration has given approval for the emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer,” the statement reads. “Two other vaccines, one developed by Moderna and the other developed by AstraZeneca, might also gain FDA approval.”

Last week, the FDA authorized the Moderna vaccine.

The bishops said it is “morally permissible” to receive the vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

“Neither of these vaccines have used cell lines originating in tissue taken from aborted babies in their design, development and production,” they said. “However, both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccine did use such a cell line in the confirmatory testing. This connection to the abortion is very remote, however, and it is important to keep in mind that there are varying levels of responsibility.”

They noted that “greater moral responsibility” lies with the researchers than with those who receive the vaccine.

“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has indicated that it is morally permissible to be vaccinated if there are no alternatives and there are serious health risks,” the bishops said. “Such serious health risks are present due to the current pandemic.

“The vaccine developed by AstraZeneca is more morally problematic, however. It did utilize in the design, production, development and confirmatory testing a cell line that originated from tissue taken from an aborted baby. This vaccine may be received only if there are no other alternatives.”

They said if a person does not have a choice of vaccine and delay in immunization may bring about serious consequences for one’s health and the health of others, it would be permissible to accept the AstraZeneca vaccine, noting it is similar in production to the rubella vaccine, which the Pontifical Academy of Life indicated could be received for “grave” reasons and if there are no other alternatives.

Farmers can learn during pandemic

After a year hiatus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan State University Organic Farmer Training Program is returning in 2021 to offer safe beginning farmer training.

A signature program of the MSU Student Organic Farm, the 2021 MSU OFTP will be a 50/50 mix of field and online learning, including 11 hands-on days at the MSU Student Organic Farm, six field trip days to more than 15 production and educational farms, and 16 interactive online class days. The goal of the OFTP, according to MSU Extension, is to create a learning community of aspiring and beginning farmers, farm workers, homesteaders, educational gardeners and OFTP instructors to support each other in learning farm and business planning skills.

MSUE has approved OFTP’s COVID-19 protocols for on-farm activities that ensure safety through wearing masks, distancing and other precautions. While the full group of 25 can convene at a safe distance outdoors for farm walks or farm implement demonstrations, participants will be split into groups of fewer than 10 people to rotate through hands-on activities in hoop houses or other partially enclosed spaces.

Individual or video options will be offered if participants cannot attend in-person activities.

To learn more, sign up or read student testimonials, visit www.msuorganicfarm.org/organic-farmer-training-program.html or email msufarm@msu.edu.