Wisconsin bars reopening after court ruling

A court ruling tossing out Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order threw communities into chaos Thursday, after some bars opened immediately and were packed with customers, while other local leaders moved to keep strict restrictions in place amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court late Wednesday afternoon ruled that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ “safer at home” order was invalid. To enact a new statewide plan, Evers will have to work with the GOP-controlled Legislature, a process that could take weeks.

The court ruling drew praise Thursday from President Donald Trump, who called it a “win” in a post on Twitter and added, “Its Democrat Governor was forced by the courts to let the State Open. The people want to get on with their lives. The place is bustling!”

The Tavern League of Wisconsin swiftly posted the news on its website, telling members, “You can OPEN IMMEDIATELY!”

Some bars did just that. Nick’s Bar in Platteville, in far southwest Wisconsin, posted a 30-second video late Wednesday that showed the bar teeming with people drinking, talking and bobbing their heads to music. Bars in Appleton and Kaukauna in northeast Wisconsin also opened and were packed with people.

Appleton city officials signed an order Wednesday that took effect at 8 a.m. Thursday continuing the state’s “safer at home” order. Other communities were taking similar steps, including Racine, Kenosha County and Brown County, home to Green Bay.

In Dane County, home to the capital of Madison, officials quickly imposed a mandate incorporating most of the statewide order until May 26. Milwaukee health officials said a stay-at-home order they enacted in late March remains in effect and does not have an end date.

‘We can do it safely’

Tom Diehl, president of the Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions, runs the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory and water ski show in Lake Delton in Sauk County, one of the state’s tourist destinations.

He plans next week to open the exploratory, an indoor attraction featuring some 175 interactive exhibits like giant levers and a mock-up of a Russian space station capsule. Diehl said he will take precautions such as having hand sanitizer available and asking visitors to keep their distance from each other.

“If Home Depot, Walmart and Costco can do it safely, we can do it safely as well,” he said.

Diehl canceled the water ski show for the summer several weeks ago, however, and doesn’t plan to bring it back because he doesn’t believe people will feel safe enough to gather in a stadium to watch it.

“They’re not going to venture out of their own locale until they’re confident enough it can be done safely,” Diehl said. “It’s going to take time. “

Not everyone was moving quickly to reopen.