In case you didn’t hear, Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palms, under orders from Governor Tony Evers, has decided that Wisconsinites’ misery must continue or another month. This is much longer than Wisconsin’s neighbors and the rest of the country. Evers didn’t even have the integrity to sign the order himself. He had an unelected bureaucrat do it instead. And it was a bureaucrat who hasn’t even been confirmed by the Wisconsin Senate.
This order is unconstitutional and unconscionable. We will not comply.
Do note that the latest version of the shutdown cancels the unofficial start of summer (the entirety of Memorial Day weekend).
This will go on until the rainy day fund is exhausted and there’s no replenishment money coming from DC into Madison.
Rep. Mike Gallagher put out this statement:
Later today the President will unveil his blueprint to reopen the economy. When that time comes, every state must have a plan in place that caters to their unique situation. As we plan for what’s next in Wisconsin, we should keep the following 10 principles in mind:
1. We need a bipartisan task force charged with creating a plan to reopen WI. The task force should bring everyone to the table—state authorities, healthcare experts, businesses large and small, first responders, and educators—and get to work immediately. There’s no time to waste.
2. Testing, testing, and more testing. The sooner our labs and hospitals have the ability to provide quick and accessible tests to a majority of Wisconsinites, the sooner we can end the lockdown.
3. Develop responsible contact tracing and antibody analysis for individuals who have been infected. The private sector is doing great work in this regard, and we need to leverage these resources and put them to work on behalf of Wisconsinites.
4. Maintain strict social distancing for the most at risk populations, including the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. We’ll have to continue pitching in to help these individuals, as they may not be able to return to normal until a vaccine is widely available.
5. Continue to support small business. Congress desperately needs to add resources to the Paycheck Protection Program, which ran through $350 billion in two weeks. Every day we delay putting more money into this program is a day we risk seeing hardworking businesses go under.
6. School’s in for summer. Our students can’t afford to lose a half year or more of schooling. High schools should consider more online classes, while younger classes may want to make use of empty high schools to move to in person instruction in significantly smaller groups.
7. Focus on our dairy farmers. Wisconsin’s dairy sector desperately needs help. Federal funds are a start, but until we break the bottleneck at the processor level, we will be stuck seeing rationing at grocery stores while our farmers are forced to dump excess milk.
8. Come up with a bipartisan election plan, now. The August primary will be here before we know it, and soon after, November. We should start immediately planning to ensure they go off without a hitch — the legitimacy of our democracy is at stake.
9. Reopen state parks, with caveats. More than ever, this is a time where Wisconsinites need to be able to get fresh air and a dose of sanity. Whether it’s closing parking lots, maintaining limited hours, or keeping a skeleton ranger crew on hand, we need to get creative.
10. Find strength in our community. Northeast Wisconsin’s strength is the quality and heart of this community. We all need to do our part to help our neighbors, support local nonprofits and businesses, and get through this the way we do best—together.
Rep. Rick Gundrum posted on his FB page:
Great news! The golf courses are going to be reopened. Thanks to pressure from Republican legislators and many Wisconsinites, Governor Tony Evers made the decision today.
And:
To say that I am frustrated right now is an understatement. With zero consultation from any member of the legislature, Governor Tony Evers unilaterally extended the “Safer at Home” order to May 26th keeping small businesses and local restaurants shut down, canceling the rest of the school year for students, continuing the suspension of church services, and perpetuating economic hardship onto my constituents. Protecting the health and safety of my constituents is my number one priority; we can do that without inflicting irreparable economic hardship to our state. I have been working tirelessly with my Wisconsin Assembly Republicans to end the overreaching practices of the Evers’ Administration with legal and commonsense solutions.
Finally some leadership from Mike G. More of the same from Gundrum.
First, Palms has no authority to extend Herr nEvers state of emergency fiat of March 12. The so-called “emergency” ends 5/13.
Second, Herr nEvers himself has no authority to extend the current SOE beyond 60 days. Only the legislature has that authority.
323.10 Declaration by governor. The governor may issue an executive order declaring a state of emergency for the state or any portion of the state if he or she determines that an emergency resulting from a disaster or the imminent threat of a disaster exists. If the governor determines that a public health emergency exists, he or she may issue an executive order declaring a state of emergency related to public health for the state or any portion of the state and may designate the department of health services as the lead state agency to respond to that emergency. If the governor determines that the emergency is related to computer or telecommunication systems, he or she may designate the department of administration as the lead agency to respond to that emergency. A state of emergency shall not exceed 60 days, unless the state of emergency is extended by joint resolution of the legislature. A copy of the executive order shall be filed with the secretary of state. The executive order may be revoked at the discretion of either the governor by executive order or the legislature by joint resolution.
Golf courses are open – meanwhile restaurant and dairy industries die. Keep up the great work Rick.
“We will not comply.”
O RLY? So your family, you’re out and about like normal, getting close to strangers?
What does “we will not comply” mean to you, really?