A Republican lawmaker said he doesn’t believe there are enough votes yet in the GOP-controlled Assembly to overturn Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate.
“Quite frankly, we’re still working through the votes and understanding who will be supportive and who won’t,” state Rep. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee, said Sunday on “UpFront,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com.
Asked if the chamber has enough votes to overturn the order, Neylon replied, “I don’t believe we do. No.”
“Ultimately we need to do this. I think it’s a dangerous overreach of power. If we’re aren’t able to overturn him now, what will this lead to in the future?” Neylon said. “This is not about masks per se. This is about something bigger. This is about his ability to extend an executive order without our authority.”
Democratic Rep. Greta Neubauer of Racine said it is about masks.
“There are and should be clear limits on government power. But doing what we can to save the lives of our community members by enacting common-sense public health measures is clearly within the role of government,” Neubauer said.
She said COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Wisconsin.
“The reality is that COVID does not know municipal boundaries. We need to do everything we can to stop this virus. The governor was elected by the people of Wisconsin to use his authority to protect the lives of his citizens,” she said.
Also on the program, WEAC President Ron Martin said teachers want to go back to the classroom, but they want it to be safe.
“They want to be back with their kids and their students,” Martin said. “They want to do what they do best, and that is teach. But they want to be back there when it’s safe.”
See more from the program:
http://www.wisn.com/upfront
