Author: Staff

Governor Tony Evers announced on April 16 that he had directed Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to extend the Safer at Home order from April 24, 2020 to 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, 2020, or until a superseding order is issued. The order implements some new measures to ensure safety and support the progress the state has accomplished in containing COVID-19, but also allows certain activities to start up again. The decision comes after half the country has adopted a longer period of confinement, even as President Donald Trump has blindly pushed to reopen the...

“Now that the curve is flattening in the fight to stop the spread of the coronavirus, a minority of disgruntled residents have begun making the claim that Milwaukee should immediately lift restrictions. There is an appropriate analogy that puts this distorted view into perspective. When a person jumps out of an airplane, deploying a parachute helps slow the rate of decent. That is not the moment for the person to take off the parachute, just because they are falling more slowly. After landing safely on the ground, then the parachute can be removed.” – Unknown Writer People across the...

Governor Tony Evers signed legislation on April 15, just hours after it was passed by the State Senate, to address the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wisconsin, despite serious concerns that the measure omitted critical needs and fell short in providing enough assistance. The new law removes a weeklong waiting period for unemployment insurance in Wisconsin, and requires health insurers to cover COVID-19 testing. It also prevents insurance companies from discriminating against people who have or previously suffered from the coronavirus. Enacting the law clears the way for Wisconsin to qualify for additional federal Medicaid...

Governor Tony Evers signaled on April 14 that it may be another month before he starts relaxing social distancing mandates. The “Safer at Home” and school closure orders were issued on March 23, and are set to expire on April 24. Governor Evers told KSTP-TV that lifting the mandates would not be “like flipping a switch” and it could still be weeks before he started to roll back distancing mandates. “I would fully expect another couple of weeks, or a month, before we are in a position to actually say we’re ahead of the curve here, and after that...

Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky defeated conservative Justice Dan Kelly to win a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in results released on April 13 from the chaotic April 7 spring election. Judge Karofsky’s victory narrows the court’s conservative majority to 4-3 and gives liberals a shot at seizing control when the next seat comes open in 2023. It may also force Republicans to reconsider their position on absentee voting during the coronavirus pandemic. “I want to send a heartfelt thank you to the hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites who made their voice heard in this unprecedented...