Speaker Robin Vos (WRN image)
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is not happy, with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ extension of the statewide stay-at-home order. Open golf courses or not, Vos said the order extending “Safer at Home” another month is par for the course with the Democratic governor.
“Basically what he does is he sits down in his office with his minions, reaching out to very few people,” Vos said on WISN’s “Jay Weber Show” Friday morning. “They then make a decision they come and tell us like it’s an edict, like we’re subjects of a king.”
Evers on Thursday ordered acting Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm to extend the order, originally set to expire on April 17, to Tuesday May 19. It’s part of ongoing efforts to “flatten the curve,” and slow the spread of new COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin.
Thanks @JayWeber3 for having me on this morning @newstalk1130 to talk about the outrage over the extension of the Safer at Home order. #Wisconsin #COVID19 https://t.co/k9iTbfxsDk
— Speaker Robin Vos (@SpeakerVos) April 17, 2020
Vos criticized what he called the order’s arbitrary impact on small businesses. “You cannot say it is legal for you to buy flowers at a Wal-Mart, and it is not legal for you to buy flowers at a flower shop. You cannot pick and choose who wins and who loses, and that’s really the arbitrary nature of what Governor Evers has consistently done.”
Governor Tony Evers (WRN image)
Vos said any lawsuit that is filed against the governor’s actions must be approached carefully, but that his goal was to have a legal strategy in place for next week.
“We’re angry, we’re frustrated and we are trying to push back in every way that we can, to make sure that we actually succeed,” Vos said. “I don’t want to just have a lawsuit filed that we hurry and do and then we lose in court, and it actually empowers them to do more harm. So we have to be careful about that.”
Yesterday we announced we are extending our #SaferAtHome order, but we also announced some important changes and flexibilities.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) April 17, 2020
Evers announced Thursday that he intends to coordinate with six other states, on a plan to reopen their economies, once COVID-19 is contained. Vos said he needs to focus on Wisconsin. “He needs to sit down and consult with the other elected officials in Wisconsin. He doesn’t need to spend all of his time on phones with other governors who have different situations, to try to solve what is a Wisconsin issue.”