Does Governor Tony Evers have a plan, to close all of Wisconsin’s K-12 schools this fall? Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald believes he may. Fitzgerald told WISN Radio in Milwaukee this week that Republicans are much more concerned about how the governor is using his emergency powers, than the mask requirement he put in place last week.
Not so, says the governor. “I have no secret plan as he suggested,” Evers said during a media conference call on Tuesday. “I’ve spent a lot of time talking with school folks, I know a lot of them, spending my most of my life in it, and I’ve been very proud of the work that all districts have been doing to determine what’s right for their students.”
Fitzgerald said there’s real fear the governor could use his emergency powers to close schools or make other decrees during the pandemic.
“I don’t think anybody’s out there, kind of hanging for dear life to determine what Scott Fitzgerald is going to say next about this.,” Evers said. “I think they’re actually doing things at the local level, and I’ve been very appreciative of those efforts.”
Evers said “the vast majority” of K-12 districts are making decisions for the fall based on what their communities are asking for, and in consultation with their local public health agencies.
The Democratic governor also said the Republican majority leader’s proposal for a vote to end his statewide mask mandate would be a “critical mistake” in efforts to contain COVID-19.
“We all know that wearing a mask is an important way to mitigate against the transmission and spread of this virus. Doing away with this order would set us back. And we can’t afford a setback at this time.”
While Fitzgerald has said he’s ready to support efforts to strike down the mask mandate, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has yet to get on board with that.