Here & Now

Vos on Mask Mandate, COVID Bill

Frederica Freyberg:

What is going on with the Republican legislature’s move to overturn the governor’s emergency order that includes a mask mandate? Well, it’s a little messy. The state Senate this week voted to end the mask order but discovered that would result in Wisconsin losing nearly $50 million a month in supplemental FoodShare benefits. Those benefits coming from the feds for states that enact emergency safety orders. So the Senate tacked an amendment on the legislature’s COVID relief bill that would allow the governor to declare an emergency just for the purpose of getting the funding. When the Assembly was set to take all of this up Thursday, Speaker Robin Vos pulled back on a vote seeking time to study the matter. Speaker Vos joins us now to untangle all of this and thanks very much for being here.

Robin Vos:

Good evening.

Frederica Freyberg:

So why not vote on the resolution if the Senate amendment fixes the federal funding problem?

Robin Vos:

We sure hope it fixes it but we’re not certain it does and when something like that happens right before we’re going to vote on a bill, I certainly don’t want to rush something and do something that would be a mistake. So look, we have the support to be able to say that the governor does not have unilateral power. He should have been working with us for months to come up with other solutions that could work. We know at the end of the day local public health departments still have the ability to do what they will. But for our standpoint, this has never been and is not about masks. It is about whether or not the governor gets to follow the law. It is crystal clear in the statutes that you only get the chance to have one emergency and then after that it has to be reviewed by the legislature. So I think that we don’t want to sacrifice the $50 million a month in federal FoodShare for our seniors. So that’s why we took a pause to make sure that was the only ramifications of what we’re doing and assuming that it is and we can fix it, we’ll move ahead.

Frederica Freyberg:

At a time when we’re being told that it might be a good idea to double mask for protection of these new COVID variants and more than 30 health and business interests object to ending the mask order, people want to understand why you want to get rid of it at this time. You say it’s not about masks, but it is about masks.

Robin Vos:

Not for me. When I look at what has been happening in our state, when I go to mass on Sunday, when I go the hardware store or a restaurant, the vast, vast majority of people are wearing a mask. It’s not because the governor ordered it because frankly there’s been no enforcement whatsoever. We know that. There’s no sheriffs or police departments writing tickets. It’s because people know it’s the right thing to do. It’s why I did that commercial with Mark Pocan that some have said, on my side, have given me derision for because I do support wearing masks. I think the vast majority of our caucus feels the same way. That’s why in the Assembly, we’re specifically exempted from wearing a mask. You’ll see, I think, of the Assembly members all but a couple wear a mask because it’s the right thing to do in a large group. So I think this is much ado about Democrats trying to make it about masks, but the reality is this is about Governor Evers issuing an illegal order that should have been struck down by the courts. They haven’t acted yet which is why we’re going to do ours.

Frederica Freyberg:

Let’s look at that PSA that you cut with Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan telling people to wear a mask. He says if your objection is overreach from the governor, then the legislature should pass its own mask mandate. Why not pass your own?

Robin Vos:

Because, again, there’s no enforcement mechanism.

Frederica Freyberg:

So Pocan also says, “If this is simply about appealing to science deniers for political purposes, we cannot afford this kind of raw partisanship.” How do you respond to that?

Robin Vos:

Well, it’s not about that because again it’s not about masks. You will see that once we pass the repeal of the governor’s emergency authority, people around Wisconsin are still going to wear masks because they want to protect their kids and their grandparents. That’s exactly why I wear one. So I think the Democrats again trying to obfuscate and direct away from what the real issue is which is the fact that Governor Evers has an inability to work with others to be able to get this done. It’s all kind of a one size fits all solution written when he’s at the mansion by himself as opposed to being out there saying let’s work with the legislature. Let’s find ways we can get a deal done. I think at the end of the day now we are beyond that because public pressure is why people are wearing a mask, not because the governor mandated it.

Frederica Freyberg:

The latest version of the legislature’s COVID relief bill gives the Republican-controlled Budget Committee review over federal dollars to fight coronavirus. Is it because you don’t like how Governor Evers has managed that money?

Robin Vos:

Somewhat. I think that’s true. But it’s really just something that’s not all that abnormal. When Jim Doyle was in office and Mark Pocan was the chair of the Finance Committee they got a bunch of money under what’s called the ARRA, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Billions of dollars came to Wisconsin and legislature passed legislation signed by Governor Doyle saying they would have the ability to have legislative oversight. So this is not a partisan — it shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It should mean that the legislature, the ones who are supposed to appropriate money, have the ability to oversee it just like we do with every other dollar that comes into the state’s treasury.

Frederica Freyberg:

Super quickly, it seems as though that might be one of those so-called poison pills that could result in an Evers’ veto of this COVID relief package. Then what?

Robin Vos:

I sure hope it isn’t. Because again if Jim Doyle and Mark Pocan can strike a deal and say it works for when Democrats are in charge, I don’t know why you wouldn’t certainly want it when you have divided government. I’m optimistic the governor’s going to sign it. It’s a good bill. It’s got lots of ideas in there. It’s got money for the pandemic. It’s got the ability for us to continue to make sure we have like an essential visitor program for people to visit their parents. We work on vaccinations. There’s a lot of good things in there. So it would be a real disappointment if Governor Evers chose to play politics and veto it.

Frederica Freyberg:

We’ll see. Speaker Vos, thanks very much.

Robin Vos:

Thanks Fred.