Wisconsin governor won’t pursue statewide coronavirus restrictions after court ruling

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) said Monday that he will not pursue new statewide coronavirus restrictions after the state Supreme Court struck down his previous ones last week.

The governor’s administration switched gears and withdrew its statement of scope for new COVID-19 regulations after state Republicans vocally rejected the plan. Wisconsin’s coronavirus restrictions will now fall to local governments without a statewide approach. 

“The Republicans have made it very clear that they don’t believe a statewide approach is the right way to go at this point in time, and they also don’t believe any restrictions are advisable at this time,” Evers told reporters. 

“Given that, it just doesn’t make any sense to spend a lot of time doing something that we know isn’t going to be successful,” he added. 

Live in 15: #DHSWI Secretary-designee Andrea Palm joins @GovEvers, @WEDCNews Secretary Missy Hughes, Chief Medical Officer Ryan Westergaard & Chief Legal Counsel Ryan Nilsestuen to update the status of our #COVID19_WI response. Watch at 1:30 on YouTube: https://t.co/7z5nXM49w7

— WIDeptHealthServices (@DHSWI) May 18, 2020

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ statement of scope that was revoked Monday had included regulations to limit the number of people in confined spaces, implement social distancing requirements, limit mass gatherings and institute protections in businesses for employees and customers. 

Last week, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court knocked down Evers’s stay-at-home order put in place to protect residents from the coronavirus spread. The ruling would have required the administration to work with Republicans on a new statewide plan.

The governor condemned the decision last week, saying it would put the state into “chaos” and lead to an increase in cases. Several bars in the state opened up immediately following the order and went viral with photos of significant crowds.

An Oregon judge ruled on Monday that statewide coronavirus restrictions infringed on residents’ religious freedoms, after churches and congregants sued Gov. Kate Brown (D).