(The Center Square) – The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says they have a strategy to oppose Gov. Tony Evers’ order to keep people at home and keep businesses closed, but it doesn’t involve protesting on the statehouse steps.
“This is something where politicians arguing against the governor just becomes what he wants it to be, which is a political argument where Republicans want to do one thing, and where he wants to do the other,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber on Tuesday.
Vos insists that he and the rest of the Republicans in the state legislature want to reopen the state’s businesses and get people back to work. He said that’s why they went to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to challenge the governor’s use of his emergency powers in extending the governor’s Safer at Home order.
Vos said Republicans have had a pretty good record in taking the governor to court, which is why they are waiting on the Supreme Court to rule on reopening.
“We have won half a dozen times in court in the last couple of months,” Vos said. “Remember, he wanted to cancel the election the day before. Remember, he wanted to change the way that we vote. All of those things were [stopped] through the court because that’s the way that branches of government argue.”
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the lawsuit that challenges Evers’ powers.
And until that happens, Vos said, pressure is the best strategy to reopen the state.
“The goal is to keep putting the influence on the governor, to make sure he changed his mind,” Vos added. “Why do you think he agreed to reopen small retailers? Which I think is far too little and far too slow. But he did it because the legislature and the public putting pressure on him. Saying ‘You’re doing a crappy job at this.'”
Evers on Monday tweaked his Safer at Home order to allow small shops to reopen, but they are limited to just five customers at a time.
The governor insists he’s willing to look at other options, but continues to say he wants to see a plan from Vos and the Republicans first.
Vos said having a plan from the legislature and a plan from the governor puts them back in that political argument that he wants to avoid.
“What do we get out of putting out a Republican plan?” Vos asked. “The reality is we need a Wisconsin plan to reopen. We don’t need more politicians arguing with each other.”
Benjamin Yount reports on Illinois and Wisconsin statewide issues for The Center Square. Reposted with permission.
