Wisconsin Republicans postpone vote to end governor’s mask mandate

Republicans in the Wisconsin State Assembly are postponing a vote set for Thursday that would end Democratic Governor Tony Evers’s mask mandate. 

Republican Speaker Robin Vos is delaying the vote in order to figure out how to end the mandate without losing federal funding for the people in the state, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. 

The state would lose almost $50 million in federal aid affecting almost 250,000 households in Wisconsin if the mask mandate ends. 

Republicans in the state argue that Evers is abusing his emergency orders. A health emergency order from the governor is only allowed to stay in place for 60 days. Any longer amount of time would have to be approved by lawmakers. 

Evers has been reissuing emergency orders every 60 days in order to keep the mask mandate in place. He argues that it is not against the law to issue multiple orders when the health situation is changing, while Republicans say Evers is not allowed to issue multiple orders for the same health issue. 

The resolution to absolve the mask mandate was sponsored by 29 Republicans. The resolution passed the Senate in an 18-13 vote, with only two Republicans siding with the Democrats to keep the mandate, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Evers would not be allowed to veto the bill if it passed the State Assembly. 

There are few states that have no mask mandates in the country. It is not clear when the vote will be held.