Evers gives up on virus restrictions amid GOP opposition

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MADISON, Wis. (AP/CBS 58) — Gov. Tony Evers says he's given up on any statewide rules to control the coronavirus amid fierce Republican opposition.

"It doesn't make any sense to spend a lot of time doing something that we know isn't going to be successful," said Gov. Evers.  "They didn't want to do anything on a statewide basis, period. They didn't want more restrictions, period," said the Governor.

His administration had been working on a new emergency rule after the state Supreme Court last week struck down the governor's stay-at-home order.

However, it withdrew the outline for the rule Monday after a key Republican on the Legislature's rules committee accused Evers of trying to use the process to reinstate stay-at-home.

Evers said during a teleconference with reporter that there's no point in attempting a statewide rule because Republicans are clearly opposed to any restrictions and won't allow anything to take effect.

That leaves the decision about restrictions up to local governments.

"The City of Milwaukee still has an order in place, that order was issued last Thursday, we do not have an expiration date on that order," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

Mayor Barrett wants to leave the order in place and see how things progress.  "I will be meeting with our health department, as I do on a daily basis, in the next few days to see how we dial life as normal back up.

"We're all getting restless," said County Executive David Crowley.  But he warned that while things feel like they're getting back to normal, we're not there yet.

"We are not getting back to our own routine, so I don't want people to get comfortable to think there is a light at the end of the tunnel, because that would be dangerous thinking," he said.


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