A statewide mask mandate in Wisconsin will remain in place through mid-November after a Monday morning court ruling in St. Croix County.
The conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty had sued Governor Evers back last month, challenging his authority to repeatedly declare a state of emergency.
In his ruling, St. Croix County Judge R. Michael Waterman put the onus on the state legislature to challenge the mandate in Madison, writing, “The legislature can end the state of emergency at anytime, but so far, it has declined to do so.”
Governor Evers released the following statement following this morning’s ruling
“Today’s ruling is a victory in our fight against COVID-19 and our efforts to keep the people of Wisconsin safe and healthy during this unprecedented crisis,” said Gov. Evers. “As the number of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin reached 150,000 yesterday, we will continue doing everything we can to prevent the spread of this virus. We ask Wisconsinites to please stay home as much as possible, limit travel and going to public gatherings, and wear a mask whenever out and about.”
The Gover mandate, issued on September 23rd, mandates that Wisconsinites wear a mask indoors in public through November 21st.
Wisconsin is a hotspot for new coronavirus cases, with more than 2,600 new cases confirmed on Sunday and more than 50,000 new cases over the past 3 weeks.