Can you imagine laying your head down at night knowing the decisions you made today and the decisions you make tomorrow, impact the lives of thousands?

I’m sure rest does not come easy.

Governor Tate Reeves shared the following heartfelt remarks tonight as he struggles with making the right decisions.  Pray that our leaders are guided for the good of all. No matter how hard the decision is to make.

Politicians don’t like to admit mistakes. I’ve thought about this a lot. I think it’s important to be transparent about our thought process. I’d like to share something that I think we got wrong as a country and here.

When this started, we quickly published a list of essential businesses. It was done with good intentions. We didn’t want well-intentioned but overzealous local governments to disrupt the supply chain by shutting one of them down. It was a national push, and we followed federal guidelines. It kept a lot of important industries operating, and a lot of people off of unemployment. We got a lot of criticism for saying “too many” jobs are essential.

Now looking back, I wonder whether it was right to ever go down that route. I really believe in my heart, there is no such thing as a non-essential business. They all provide food, supplies, and shelter to the people who rely on their paychecks. That is pretty darn essential to those families.

Today, there is no more difference. With only a few exceptions, businesses are open. There are a few industries that still pose significant health risks—those that require sustained person-to-person contact. We’re working on a way to quickly address those health problems and get them open again safely. I plan to do it very soon.

We can’t just get our economy rolling through a government order—people are still changing their behavior. But we can keep the government from ordering you closed as much as possible. That’s what we’re trying to do.

Thank you for your prayers and patience. We won’t get everything right the first time, but we will always work to keep you safe and secure. That means protecting your health and your wages. God bless, Mississippi.