The Republican-controlled legislature in Wisconsin on Thursday revoked a masked mandate and an emergency order issued by the state’s Democratic governor – only to see him declare new orders an hour later, according to reports.
State lawmakers took action after deciding that Governor Tony Evers had no authority to issue his coronavirus-related decrees, FOX 6 in Milwaukee reported.
But Evers countered that protecting Wisconsin residents from coronavirus was his priority – and he advocated wearing a mask as a critical step towards achieving that goal.
In a video statement, he accused Republicans of “making politics” in the middle of the pandemic.
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“If the legislature continues to make politics and we don’t continue to wear masks, we will see more preventable deaths and it will take even longer to get our state and our economy back on track,” said Evers.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is seen at the Statehouse in Madison on December 14, 2020 (Getty Images)
Many counties and counties have enacted or extended their own rules in response to the repeal of the legislature, the Associated Press reported.
Before Thursday’s vote, Assembly Republicans said they would support a limited mask mandate that would apply to risky public environments, FOX 6 reported. They listed places like health centers, public transportation, public schools and prisons.
Republican state senator Steve Nass accused Evers of being a “lawless governor” who was extrapolating his authority by calling for more restrictive rules, according to the AP.
Meanwhile, medical teams, educators, churches and many other groups in the state are on Evers’ side in asking for more caution, the Associated Press reported.
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Some Republicans responded by saying that the governor’s use of authority was the main issue they wanted to address.
“I know you want to talk about masks. It’s not,” Republican majority leader Jim Steineke told the AP. “It’s about the rule of law.”
The Assembly’s vote on Thursday was 52-42 to revoke the mandate, occurring a week after the state Senate voted to do the same.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.