Governor Tony Evers helps fill a pothole in a neighborhood street in Wausau alongside Mayor Katie Rosenber. MWC photo by Mike Leischner.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Governor Tony Evers talked with reporters about Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling which struck down his previously issued statewide mask mandates, saying he was disappointed by the decision but respects the court, calling the ruling the “law of the land.”
Shortly after working with Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg to fill a pothole on a neighborhood street on the city’s south side, Evers was asked about the ruling. “I obviously think it was a mistake,” said Evers. “We actually followed precedent from other Governors.”
He gave an example of how emergency declarations would work for a flooding incident, saying you don’t issue a blanket declaration for everyone downstream. “You continue to make those emergency declarations as it happens.
“So, I think it was a wrong decision. But at the end of the day, they are the Supreme Court of Wisconsin and we will abide by it [the decision,]” he added.
The Supreme Court vote against Evers was 4-3 with Justice Brian Hagedorn issuing the majority opinion, saying “the question in this case is not whether the Governor acted wisely; it is whether he acted lawfully. We conclude he did not.”
The 60-day emergency declarations had been the backbone of Evers’ mask mandates. Evers backed up his decisions by saying the changing nature of the pandemic warranted continued emergency orders. Republicans in the Senate and Assembly long said that any action after 60 days required their signature as well.
Evers added that the state is in a much better place in the fight against COVID-19 today than it was several months ago thanks to residents wearing masks and practicing social distancing, along with the continued rollout of vaccines. “We are fighting a war now that we are winning. We are doing a great job with vaccines in the state. I am very proud of the efforts we have had to move forward with that.”
LOCAL ORDERS REMAIN IN EFFECT
Evers went on to add that Wednesday’s ruling only impacts the statewide order. All municipal and county mask requirements, ordinances, and resolutions remain in effect.
Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg says her city has been preparing for this, which is why the City Council voted to put a mask resolution in place last November. “It’s exactly why we started talking about this last year. We still think it’s important, our numbers aren’t where we want them to be yet. We’re on the decline, which is great, but we think that we need to continue masking to keep those numbers going down.”
The resolution, which comes with no enforceable action or punishment, allows business owners to stay out of arguments with their customers if they make their customers mask up. Rosenberg went so far as to say they can blame her if customers make a scene. “Businesses, if you want to enforce that mask mandate, blame it on me, blame it on Wausau.”
The city council recently voted 7-3 to extend the resolution through May 31st. Rosenberg says at this point the sunset date is more of a guideline, as she’s relying on guidance from the Marathon County Health Department and other officials before canceling it.
“My metric is going to be guidance from the Marathon County Health Department and [Wisconsin] Department of Health Services. We are going to keep listening to what they have to say,” she said.
In addition to Wausau’s resolution masks are still required in city-owned buildings in Stevens Point, but are not required in private businesses. Merrill Mayor Derek Woeller also released a statement saying masks are required in all city buildings as well.
Other local ordinances/regulations that remain in effect include those in Dane, Ashland, Eau Claire, and Milwaukee Counties and the Cities of Green Bay, Eau Claire, Racine, Beloit, and De Pere.
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