State Supreme Court’s conservatives couldn’t touch these communities where that are keeping safeguards in place. Others may join the list.
While the conservative justices who control the Wisconsin Supreme Court were able to strike down Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate on Wednesday, at least 24 municipalities, counties, and tribal nations still have local orders in effect, according to local news reports from around the state.
Mask requirements remain in effect in: De Pere, Oneida Nation, Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Shorewood, Oshkosh, Outagamie County, Dane County, Rock County, the city of Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Whitewater, Superior, the city of Ashland, Beloit, the city of Bayfield, Whitefish Bay, Glendale, Green Bay, the Lac du Flambeau band, the Menominee Indian Tribe, the Red Cliff band, and the Stockbridge-Munsee band.
Some health officials, such as those in Brown County and La Crosse County, opted to issue unenforceable mask advisories. Elected officials in Wausau and Brown Deer have passed resolutions recommending, but not requiring, masks in public spaces.
The Supreme Court’s four conservative justices ruled Evers overstepped his authority in issuing multiple emergency orders implementing and extending the statewide mandate. State law allows governors to issue emergency orders for up to 60 days at a time, but the statute does not specifically allow or disallow multiple emergencies for the same overarching crisis, such as a pandemic. That gray area opened up Evers’ orders to legal challenge.
Merrill Mayor Derek Woellner declared a face mask requirement in city-owned sites Wednesday, WAOW-TV reported. Woellner said in a Facebook post that face coverings are required in all public areas within city facilities until May 26
Julian Emerson A fixture in west central Wisconsin journalism for over a quarter-century, Julian specializes in investigative work, politics, and social justice issues.
Jonathon Sadowski A Racine native, Jonathon most recently reported for the Racine Journal Times. He has a degree in multimedia journalism from Columbia College Chicago and was a digital news intern for two Chicago stations, WMAQ and WLS-TV.
