Republicans are in court to end Wisconsin's mask mandate, but most won't talk about it bit.ly/2GFWudr -- via @MollyBeck, @ericlitke and me
State Sen. @Vanwanggaard says if the court case on ending @GovEvers' mask requirement doesn't go their way, Wisconsin Republicans will come into session soon after the Nov. 3 election to end the mandate.
Wanggaard said he would oppose a mask mandate under any circumstance, even if the COVID-19 outbreak grew 10 times worse.
“I think that it always makes sense to err on the side of caution but that should be my choice,” @Vanwanggaard said of wearing a mask. “Nobody should be dictating to me when I have to wear a mask.”
We asked all state lawmakers if they backed the effort to end the mask mandate.
10 of 81 Republicans said they wanted to end it. The other 71 didn't answer, but they have filed a legal brief seeking to end it.
40 of the 47 Democrats said they supported the mask requirement. The other 7 didn't answer.
Many Republicans avoided our questions.
"I've got your number. I'll give you a shout back," @StateRepHutton told me Monday when I asked his views on the mask mandate.
He never called back and didn't respond to follow-up messages.
.@RepRamthun refused to answer my questions about the mask mandate because he was upset with a story I wrote in June about him saying he hadn't understood legislation he had just voted for. (He didn't answer questions for that story either.)
The Republicans who would talk showed opposition for the state mask requirement, though many said they supported the ability of local governments to issue mask requirements.
Rep. Jim Ott on the lawsuit: "I think it’s important that we don’t suddenly see precedents set where suddenly the governor can start issuing any kind of order that he wants to & nobody challenges it. These orders may get continually more extensive and oppressive as time goes on."
.@RepMacco says COVID-19 rules need legislative approval.
"This Governor is attempting to circumvent our republic by failing to consult with the branch of government closest to the people and is the latest example of the Governor’s legally questionable actions," he says.
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The group lobbies the Legislature on numerous issues, including ones not related to voting, and has taken liberal stances on legislation related to tax cuts, school vouchers, abortion and environmental issues.
INBOX: Longtime conservative activist Bob Dohnal criticizes @AndrewHittGOP and GOP Waukesha Co Chair Terry Dittrich for their opposition to a post by GOP staffer Keith Best that they saw as demeaning to @KamalaHarris.
Dohnal: “GOP leaders develop some BALLS for once.”
Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) wants to end the public health emergency declared by @GovEvers because he views it as illegal.
The Legislature could vote down the emergency declaration. Nass blames @repvos, the Assembly's Republican speaker, for not doing so.
Nass said three people are responsible for a "constitutional crisis" in Wisconsin.
"They are Governor Tony Evers, DHS Secretary-Designee Andrea Palm and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos."
Nass: "Assembly Speaker Vos continues to enable the illegal conduct of this administration by blocking the Legislature from meeting to put an end to the improper emergency declaration and emergency orders issued under it."
UPDATED: Wisconsin Supreme Court tells election officials to suspend mailing absentee ballots while it considers whether to add Green Party ticket to them bit.ly/3m9ym2W
If the high court orders changes to who is on the ballot, 2.3 ballots would have to be reprinted.
Counties warn that would cost them large sums and result in them missing deadlines that require absentee ballots to be sent to voters by next week.
Up to 378,000 ballots have already been sent to Wisconsin voters, according to court filings tonight.
If the court finds candidates need to be added to the ballot, those voters would have to be sent a second ballot. And then clerks would have to make sure no one voted twice.