WI REPUBLICANS VOTE TO END COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

REPORT: TIME SENSITIVE ACTION ITEM

Wisconsin Republicans in the Senate and Assembly are voting to end our statewide COVID-19 public health emergency, issued by Governor Evers. This would undo our statewide mask mandate as COVID-19 continues to endanger Wisconsinites. If it passes, Evers cannot veto it under Wisconsin law.

It is vital that every one of us contacts our State Senator (Alberta Darling) and State Assemblyperson (in Menomonee Falls, it could be either Janel Brandtjen or Dan Knodl) to let them know that we need this public emergency and mask mandate to remain in place. To find out your assemblyperson, visit: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/

CONTACT INFO

☐ SEND TO YOUR STATE SENATOR

Senator Alberta Darling (SD8)
Phone: 608-266-5830
E-mail: Sen.Darling@legis.wi.gov

☐ SEND TO YOUR STATE ASSEMBLYPERSON

Representative Janel Brandtjen (AD22)
Phone: 608-267-2367
E-mail: Rep.Brandtjen@legis.wi.gov

Representative Dan Knodl (AD24)
Phone: 608-266-3796
E-mail: Rep.Knodl@legis.wisconsin.gov

EXAMPLE MESSAGE

Dear Senator/Representative _______________________,

I am writing to ask that you withdraw your support for the 2021-2022 Senate Joint Resolution (JR3) relating to the Governor’s emergency order. Should this come to a vote in the Assembly, I ask that you do not vote in favor of it.

Over the last two and a half years, Wisconsinites had to foot the bill from various lawsuits that the Republican Party launched against the Governor – estimated at $5 million to date. An estimated $2.4 million of that is associated with fighting COVID-19 response plans and election lawsuits. As someone who touts the virtues of financial responsibility you can see how this is not a wise expenditure of taxpayer monies.

This has to stop.

I expect that my Legislators find ways to work with the Governor during times of crisis and to represent all of their constituents, not merely the ones who voted for them. During a pandemic, which does not respect party affiliation, this is even more critical.

Putting our communities and economy back on track requires a multipronged approach that includes case mitigation (masks, social distancing, avoiding large-group events, hand washing), case management (testing, contact tracing, quarantining) and case prevention (vaccination). This Joint Resolution, as we have seen with prior statements and actions in 2020, will undermine this effort.

Furthermore, if there isn’t an alternative plan – one that is clearly articulated in advance – then it is even more irresponsible to overturn Governor Evers’ emergency order.

As a contributor to RightWisconsin wrote recently:

“How do Republicans criticize Evers’ rollout of the vaccine as dangerous while also revoking a mask mandate? Can they effectively make the public case that the joint resolution is really about Evers violating state law rather than partisans not taking the pandemic seriously?”

I ask that you do the right and responsible thing during this difficult time for our state.

Sincerely,

Name: ________________________
Address: ______________________