Thread by @MollyBeck

Assembly Republicans sent @GovEvers a letter asking him to propose mask requirements through the Legislature's rules committee on the same day they will vote on a resolution that repeals the mask mandate in place.

The rules committee is chaired by the author of the mask repeal.

@GovEvers Democrats sought to amend a bill up today aimed at responding to the pandemic with a measure that mandates face masks.

Speaker Pro Tem says the amendment is not germane.

@GovEvers .@SpeakerVos starts floor debate by saying he is not there to talk about masks, but about @GovEvers' unilateral order.

The state Senate will meet in extraordinary session tomorrow to take up the COVID-19 relief bill being amended today in the Assembly that Evers has not signaled support for signing.

.@SenatorDevin: "This is a true consensus bill and we expect a quick signature to preserve the enhanced federal UI benefits which will expire Sunday without this law change."

@SenatorDevin Assembly lawmakers are now on the floor debating a resolution to end @GovEvers' emergency order that mandates face masks in indoor public places.

If/when it passes, the mandate will be eliminated immediately.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers "If you pass this, you don't save a single life," @RepRobynVining says. "I'm incredibly distraught that we have reached a point in political discourse in Wisconsin that stares death in the face, shrugs, and says 'But my political ideology.'"

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining Assembly Republicans said they want @GovEvers to go through rules committee to enact mask requirements but the chairman of the committee signals he doesn't support the idea.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining "Senator Nass doesn’t support the efforts of Assembly Republicans to join with Governor Evers to enact a mask mandate that could lead to people being fined and/or arrested," Nass spokesman @MikeMikalsen says.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen Assembly Majority Leader @jimsteineke says the rule of law, not partisanship, is ruling the day.

Steineke reading state law that requires emergencies last 60 days without leg input.

"That's the language we took an oath to uphold," he says.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke Evers argues he can issue new emergencies, comparing the pandemic to repeated flooding events of the same river.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke This debate is before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke .@RepSRodriguez says if the resolution is about the rule of law, and not masks, GOP lawmakers would have agreed to amend the COVID-19 bill to include a mask mandate.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke @RepSRodriguez .@RepRamthun says if Democratic lawmakers "believe in the science of masks, but not of the science of life beginning at conception, then you do not believe in science. You believe in a political ideology."

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke @RepSRodriguez @RepRamthun .@RepDonVruwink says business owners in the Milton area (where he reps) want the mandate in place to avoid uncomfortable/confrontational situations with customers.

"You're losing people. They're not sure who their party is," Vruwink says.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke @RepSRodriguez @RepRamthun @RepDonVruwink Assembly Health Committee chairman @RepSanfelippo giving a history of rules on emergency orders in Wisconsin. At 1959 right now.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke @RepSRodriguez @RepRamthun @RepDonVruwink @RepSanfelippo 2009 was the last update, Sanfelippo says.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke @RepSRodriguez @RepRamthun @RepDonVruwink @RepSanfelippo He says the Legislature and the governor haven't disagreed on the powers until now. He says that's because Evers is abusing the powers.

@SenatorDevin @GovEvers @RepRobynVining @MikeMikalsen @jimsteineke @RepSRodriguez @RepRamthun @RepDonVruwink @RepSanfelippo .@StateRepHong invokes Republican Sen. Rob Cowles, who voted against the resolution last week.

"You have the support of no one but yourselves," Hong says.

Hong says the mask mandate shouldn't be used in Assembly Repubs' "confusing and unnatural fixation on the governor."

.@RepTonyKurtz says if Evers was a Republican, Democratic lawmakers would not support him issuing new emergency orders without leg input.

"You would be going nuts if Gov. Evers had an R behind his name and kept extending these emergency orders."

@RepTonyKurtz "Do i wish my colleagues in this chamber would suck it up and wear a mask? Yes, I do. But it's not about that," @RepTonyKurtz says.

@RepTonyKurtz .@RepTonyKurtz criticizes media coverage of the practical effect of ending the emergency order, which the repeal of the mask mandate.

@RepTonyKurtz .@RepTonyKurtz says he expects reporters to "sneak" into rooms at the Capitol to catch lawmakers not wearing a mask.

For what it's worth, I've never seen a reporter sneak into a room at the Capitol.

@RepTonyKurtz .@RepTonyKurtz says the media coverage should better reflect the constitutional issue being addressed by the resolution.

.@SenatorDevin and @SpeakerVos plan to sign the resolution to end the emergency order that mandates masks tomorrow.

@SenatorDevin @SpeakerVos .@SpeakerVos says he wants to work with Evers on a mask rule, but the Senate co-chairman of the committee that would have veto approval of such a rule has already said he doesn't support the idea.

@SenatorDevin @SpeakerVos Wisconsin state Assembly votes 52-42 to end @GovEvers health emergency order that mandates face masks in public indoor places.

It was the only statewide mitigation measure in place. The repeal takes effect tomorrow.

@SenatorDevin @SpeakerVos @GovEvers Republican Reps. Joel Kitchens, Todd Novak, Loren Oldenburg, Jessie Rodriguez, David Steffen, Ron Tusler and Jeff Mursau joined all Democrats in opposing the resolution

@SenatorDevin @SpeakerVos @GovEvers GOP @RepJessie on her No vote: "Having personally spoken to constituents who are concerned about the slow vaccine rollout, my concern is that the timing of this joint resolution could send mixed messages to the public concerning our priorities."