Wisconsin court ruling leads to hodgepodge of reopenings
Frustration and confusion reigned in Wisconsin on Thursday as the state’s residents woke up to a patchwork of local health orders in the nation’s only state with no coronavirus restrictions in place — not even for vulnerable nursing homes.
Bars and restaurants in Milwaukee are closed, but they’re open in suburban Waukesha. Tourist destinations in Wisconsin Dells are still shuttered as the four local counties discuss what to do next while hotels and bars in Lake Geneva welcomed back visitors.
Amid the fallout of the court’s decision, Wisconsin’s political divide remained on full display. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers was left to voice his disappointment while Republican legislative leaders took a victory lap that included a cameo from President Donald Trump, who tweeted with approval that Wisconsin had scored “another win” and that “the place is bustling!”
“The governor’s office can no longer keep our economy closed under a one-size-fitsall statewide order,” state Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, said in an online video to constituents. “I am excited to see this reopening occur after weeks of hearing from friends, neighbors and local business owners about the stress this order had placed on their livelihoods.”
State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, the two GOP leaders who sued the governor’s administration, held a phone call with Evers on Thursday morning to discuss possible covid-19 rules the state might draft to replace the stay-athome order or to implement should the state’s cases surge. The call ended with no agreement to do so.
FEARS EXPRESSED
At a conference table in the governor’s office in Madison, Evers expressed dread at the likelihood of more covid-19 cases and deaths, declaring that the “Supreme Court may have changed the rules for how we operate, but it sure the heck didn’t change how viruses operate.
“This virus has killed more than 400 of our family members, friends and neighbors and thousands more across our state are sick, and because of the court’s decision, many more people could get sick and overwhelm our hospitals,” Evers said, as he urged Wisconsinites to stay home and practice social distancing. “Just because Republicans said it can be a free-for-all, that doesn’t mean we have to throw good judgment out the window.”
As for Trump, Evers said Wisconsin had been following the president’s own guidelines for reopening the country, including a consistent decrease in covid-19 cases and increased testing.
“Apparently he doesn’t think much of the criteria metrics he sent out several months ago,” Evers said of the president. “He’s abandoned that.”
The decision to allow businesses to reopen rested with officials in Walworth County, a rural Republican stronghold of former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Carlo Nevicosi, deputy director of Walworth County Health and Human Services, said the agency agreed to let businesses reopen because it was confident they will do what is necessary to operate safely.
“It’s a healthy outlook that they’re approaching it cautiously,” he said. “We’re going to put our faith in them.”
Stephanie Klett, president and CEO of VISIT Lake Geneva, said she had no specific economic forecast of how the region might fare this summer, but thought it could do well if people from the Chicago area decide to stay close to home for their vacations rather than get on an airplane.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Despite Illinois having higher infection rates than Wisconsin, she said businesses will still be happy to see patrons from the state.
“We love our Land of Lincoln visitors,” she said. “We can’t wait to see their license plates here.”
The governor was far less enthused when asked about Lake Geneva and other tourist attractions reopening.
“That is going to be a big deal. We will have people coming from Minnesota and Michigan and Illinois to Wisconsin because we have opened haphazardly and without much thought,” Evers said. “That is going to be a problem for us because all the surrounding states have higher percentage per capita of covid-19, and it will bring an increase for us.”
Meanwhile, in Michigan, a man accused of making credible death threats against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel has been charged on a terrorism count, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said Friday.
Robert Tesh made the threats via a social media message to an acquaintance on April 14 and authorities concluded the message amounted to “credible threats to kill,” prosecutor Kym Worthy said Friday in a news release.
She didn’t provide any detail about the threats or how they were determined to be credible. Further details will be presented during court proceedings, she said.
Detroit police officers arrested the 32-year-old man the same day at his home. He was arraigned April 22 on a threat of terrorism charge. If convicted, Tesh could face up to 20 years in prison.
Worthy didn’t explain the delay in releasing information about the threats, arrest and arraignment.
“Emotions are heightened on all sides now,” she told The Associated Press on Friday. “These threats … they are not funny. They are not jokes. There is nothing humorous about it. Even if you don’t carry it out, we’re going to charge you criminally.”
The threats from Tesh were not specific to Whitmer’s stay-at-home order issued in March, according to Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office. The order is effective at least until May 28.
Tesh was released from jail on April 29 after posting a $50,000 bond. He has been placed on a GPS tether. A probable cause conference is scheduled for June 3.
PROTESTS IN MICHIGAN
Protests against the lockdowns continued in Michigan on Thursday, as well as in New York as Long Island protesters waved Trump 2020 banners and one held a sign that read, “Hang Fauci. Hang Gates. Open all our states.”
Near the Capitol steps in Michigan, one man had strung an American flag onto a fishing rod. Below the flag, a brunette doll dangled from a noose tied to the pole. When another protester reached to grab the doll, a fight broke out. A video captured people wrestling over the flag and doll, shoving one another and shouting. Nearby, two people struggled over an ax.
Michigan State Police eventually responded to the fight. They said no injuries were reported and no arrests were made. Officers said they confiscated the ax.
The naked doll hanging from the noose reflected recent threats against Whitmer. The Detroit Metro Times reported dozens of posts that called for the Michigan governor to be hanged.
Information for this article was contributed by Bill Ruthhart, John Keilman, Jessica Villagomez, Dan Hinkel and Armando Sanchez of The Chicago Tribune; by Corey Williams and David Eggert of The Associated Press; and by Katie Shepherd and Moriah Balingit of The Washington Post.