MADISON, Wisconsin – Democrats in the Wisconsin State Legislature are introducing a bill that would create a masking mandate across the state through the legislative process.
Citing Republican arguments in the Assembly plenary on Thursday, saying his attempts to dismiss Governor Tony Evers’ emergency order were about the governor’s powers and not the mask’s mandate, Democrats on Friday announced their plans to introduce a bill that would put a statewide order mask in place for the rest of the pandemic, until President Joe Biden declares an end to the national coronavirus emergency.
“Republicans who voted to overthrow the Wisconsin mask order swore that ‘it is not about masks’ and that there was bipartisan opposition in both houses to overthrow it, so I expect strong bipartisan support for this project,” Assembly minority Gordon Hintz said in a statement announcing the proposal.
“This is the chance for Republicans to prove it,” said state senator Jon Erpenbach of Middleton, saying that those across the hall had a chance to work with Democrats to put a mask mandate in place.
“Wisconsin residents perceive this as Republicans and Democrats fighting for a mask and, collectively, we should fight the virus,” said Sen. Erpenbach.
Democrats say legislation is necessary if the Wisconsin Supreme Court decides against the governor’s ability to issue successive emergency orders to maintain the mask’s mandate.
“You can’t win a pandemic in court,” said Sen. Erpenbach, emphasizing the importance of masks when it comes to getting life back to normal in Wisconsin.
“If we dress up and go through the vaccine implementation, we will be much better off in a few months than we are today.”
The announcement came just before the State Senate passed a coronavirus relief bill on Friday.
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