Des Moines, Iowa – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds refused to say last Thursday whether she was asked to join with other Midwest governors in coordinating the reopening of their state economies.

Governors of seven Midwestern states announced they had agreed to work together to restart their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, following similar pacts in the Northeast and West Coast.

The Midwest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky. Five of the governors are Democrats; two are Republicans.

When asked if she was invited, Reynolds’ spokesman Pat Garrett responded that she “will continue to participate in conversations with nearby governors as we prepare to open the state back up in the coming weeks.” Garrett didn’t respond when asked again if Reynolds was asked to join with the governors.

When asked about the absence of Iowa, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he wished more states joined.

“Iowa chose not to be part of this,” Pritzker said. “I know they don’t have a stay-at-home rule yet in place. They’ve made a lot of different decisions than we have.”

– Associated Press