Two very different COVID-19 responses produce different economic outcomes in Hudson, WI, and Stillwater, MN

[link removed]
Diggings: A pandemic rivalry in the St. Croix Valley
Two very different COVID-19 responses produce different economic outcomes in Hudson, WI, and Stillwater, MN

By KEVYN BURGER | April 2021

Last year might have been the best of times and the worst of times for Joe Ehlenz, or in a further twist on the Charles Dickens classic, A Tale of Two Restaurants. Both restaurants are called LoLo American Kitchen ([link removed]) , and both are anchors of a lively food scene, with innovative cocktails, trendy small plates and entrees.

Both are owned by Ehlenz, one in Hudson, Wisconsin, where he lives, and the other eight miles farther up the St. Croix River, in Stillwater, Minnesota.

In the St. Croix Valley, Hudson and Stillwater have long done business with their common interest in mind. Operators of hotels, marinas, restaurants and boutiques in the two communities have been known to refer tourists to their counterparts on the other side of the river that the communities share.

But twice in 2020, the two LoLos operated under different sets of rules for the hospitality industry set by their states — stoking a community rivalry, a game with a winner and a loser.

After an initial shutdown as COVID-19 hit last year, a mid-May ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court quashed Gov. Tony Evers’ stay-at-home order, allowing bars and restaurants like LoLo in Hudson to reopen for in-person dining and drinking.

At the same time, bars and restaurants in Minnesota, like LoLo in Stillwater, offered curbside pickup and takeout but remained closed to guests by order of Gov. Tim Walz. In June, restaurants were allowed to reopen to diners at reduced capacity.

Read the full article here ([link removed]) .

This article first appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of Diggings. Click
here ([link removed]) to read the whole issue.

Permission to reprint is granted as long as the author and Badger Institute are properly cited.

What we're reading:
Americans for Tax Reform: Wisconsin Residents Will Get Stuck with Higher Utility Bills Due to Biden Corporate Tax Rate Hike ([link removed])
WFRV-TV: Judge rules against Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection, Wisconsinites permitted to sell home-baked goods ([link removed])
Will Flanders: Limit Unemployment Benefits To Get Wisconsin Back To Work ([link removed])
Manhattan Institute: Child Allowances vs. Child Tax Credits ([link removed])
James Wigderson: Time for Evers to stop blocking the schoolhouse doors ([link removed])
Connect with The Badger Institute
Keep up to date with news and updates by following us on Facebook ([link removed]) and Twitter. ([link removed])
Donate ([link removed])
Our work in advancing free markets, opportunity and prosperity in the Badger State is only made possible by the generous donations of our supporters. The Badger Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. We do not accept any government funding.

We gratefully accept your support at any level. Donate online ([link removed]) or contact Director of Development Angela Smith at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or 414-254-6440.

============================================================
We believe competitive free markets, limited government, private initiative and personal responsibility are essential to our democratic way of life. The Badger Institute is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and does not receive government funding. Our work is funded solely through tax-deductible gifts from foundations, companies and individuals. We appreciate your support.
** Contribute ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
Copyright © 2021 Badger Institute, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.

Our mailing address is:
Badger Institute
700 W. Virginia St., Suite 301
Milwaukee, Wi 53204
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
[link removed]