NewsState

Actions

GOP leader wants Wisconsin Senate to strike down mask order

face masks
Posted at 1:03 PM, Aug 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-03 14:03:37-04

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Senate said Monday he wants the Legislature to reconvene this week or next to strike down Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ mask mandate.

The order from Evers, designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus as cases spike in Wisconsin, took effect on Saturday.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said on WISN-AM that he was talking with Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos about a plan. Vos opposes the mandate, but has not said whether the Assembly would come in to vote it down, as Fitzgerald said the Senate wants to do.

“Vos and I and our members have to figure out exactly where we’re at on this and if we’re going to do this, we’ve got to do it soon,” Fitzgerald said. “You’re not going to wait around a couple weeks to take action because that makes no sense.”

Vos did not immediately respond to questions both Friday and Monday about whether Assembly Republicans support striking down the order.

Fitzgerald accused Evers of “overreach” with the mask order, saying whether to wear one should be an individual’s decision. He said Republicans were also worried Evers would order schools to close, as he did in the spring when the outbreak first began.