After the Senate approved the mask mandate repeal resolution on Tuesday (1/26), GOP lawmakers learned that overturning the governor’s declaration of a public health emergency would jeopardize the state’s eligibility to receive millions of dollars (roughly $50 million per month) of enhanced federal funds for food stamps.
On Thursday (1/28), both houses of the legislature were in session. The Senate approved the amendments to the COVID bill made by the Assembly on Tuesday, including provisions that likely increase the likelihood of a Gov. Evers veto, and also added new language that would allow the governor to declare emergencies in order to receive federal funds. This would allow the state to receive the food stamp funding and presumably apply more pressure on the governor to sign the bill.
Although scheduled to take up both the COVID bill (AB1) and the mask mandate repeal (SJR3), the state Assembly did not take action on either. Speaking to reporters, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos explained he and his Assembly colleagues wanted more time to study the fiscal effects of both the mask repeal measure as well as language the state Senate added to the COVID bill before acting. The Assembly is expected to come back in to take action next week.
Read More:
- Wispolitics.com: Assembly puts off vote to overturn Evers public health emergency
- MJS: Assembly Republicans hold off for now on ending Wisconsin’s mask requirement
- WSJ: Assembly hits pause on vote to eliminate Tony Evers’ mask mandate
