Wisconsin Supreme Court Blocks Governor’s Stay-at-Home Order, Forces Reopening
STRUCK DOWN
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has blocked the governor’s stay-at-home order, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. It’s the first time a high court has struck down a governor’s mandate meant to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. The 4-3 decision fell to the conservative majority on the court. The state has begun easing shelter-in-place measures, but the verdict decreases the governor and health secretary’s power to enact changes unilaterally, an authority Governor Tony Evers has said allowed the state to act quickly and decisively. The decision further requires officials to submit potential public health restrictions to a committee of lawmakers before implementing them. Several thousand people protested the lockdown at the Wisconsin Capitol building last week.