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The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down the governor’s statewide mask mandate in a 4-3 decision.
“The question in this case is not whether the governor acted wisely; it is whether he acted legally,” we can read in part in the majority opinion. “We conclude that he did not.”
Fearing more deaths statewide from Covid-19, Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, reissued several mask terms recently, only to be pushed back at every interval by Republicans in the legislature.
Many conservatives accused Evers of abusing his authority and took legal action.
“I congratulate the Court on bringing this constitutional crisis to an end,” Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, a Republican, wrote on Twitter after the decision.
“Today’s decision justifies the role of the legislature and will expand freedom and opportunity for Wisconsinites,” he wrote. use common sense. “
Evers said he would continue to fight to keep residents out of the way of Covid.
“Since the start of this pandemic, I have worked to keep Wisconsinites healthy and safe, and have trusted science and public health experts to guide our decision making,” Evers wrote in a communicated.
“Our fight against Covid-19 is not over – as we work to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible, we know that wearing a mask saves lives, and we will always need Wisconsinites to mask themselves. so that we can defeat this virus and bounce back. back from this pandemic.
After a Republican challenge, the state Supreme Court also overturned Evers’ housekeeping order in a 4-3 decision in May, arguing it had overstepped its authority.
Evers staff have long accused Republicans of using their unwavering power to go against their efforts to protect residents.
Evers has declared at least three other public health emergencies and issued other coronavirus-related orders, all of which have met with Republican resistance.
In a Marquette Law School poll released in May, nearly 70% of Wisconsinites felt it was appropriate to close schools and businesses and restrict public gatherings to combat the spread of the virus.
In addition, 53% of residents trust Evers more than the Legislature in deciding whether to reopen and relax restrictions on Covid-19, according to the survey.
Local mask orders will not be affected by a court ruling and many major cities in Wisconsin have their own mask orders in place, according to NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee.
The court ruling comes a day after state health officials said residents aged 16 and older were eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine from Monday, the station reported.
Over 2.7 million vaccines have been administered in Wisconsin. The state continues to lead the country in distributing the vaccine to residents.
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