Turkey Appetite Swells At Capitol As State Fights Bird Flu

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — An appetite for turkey is sweeping lawmakers at Minnesota's state Capitol.

Rural legislators plan a turkey burger cookout on the Capitol lawn Tuesday to support the state's turkey industry. Minnesota is the nation's top turkey producer, and a recent bird flu outbreak has hit growers hard. The virus has led to the deaths of around 4 million Minnesota birds and officials expect it to stick around for a few years.

Gov. Mark Dayton ate turkey with his interns this week to prove birds on the market are safe.

Dayton signed a bill Friday for about $900,000 in emergency funding to fight the flu outbreak. Lawmakers expect they'll need millions more this year for farmers and state agencies.

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