Evers casts doubt on Ohio-style vaccine lottery in Wisconsin
MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers urged people Friday to get vaccinated against COVID-19 but said he didn’t support offering those who get shots a chance to win $1 million, as Ohio is doing.
The Democratic governor praised the federal recommendation to ease mask requirements but signaled he would leave it to local governments to decide when to lift the ones they have put in place. He said his administration is analyzing when to send more state workers back to their offices and allow visitors to the state Capitol to go without masks.
This week Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced his state would encourage people to get vaccinated by creating a lottery to provide $1 million each to five adults who get shots. Five college scholarships are being offered to teens who do the same.
Evers praised the Republican governor as “quite a leader” and someone who “has a lot of things going for him.” But he cast doubt on the idea of holding a similar lottery in Wisconsin.
“I just question the use of that money for that purpose,” Evers said of the billions of dollars in aid Congress has given states to respond to COVID-19.
“I think there’s a lot of businesses and others across the state that have suffered dramatically and a million dollars would go a long way here in Wisconsin to help small businesses get back in place, but that’s just my own personal opinion.”
Evers made his comments outside the Capitol after signing a bill to recognize Friday as Hmong-Lao Veterans Day in Wisconsin.
He spoke a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance saying fully vaccinated people can go most places without masks. Evers said the announcement was a cause for celebration.
“People who have been vaccinated have saved lives and gotten us to this point,” he said.
“We are taking a huge step forward as a state and a nation. I just thank the people of Wisconsin for being so resilient. And a double thanks to those who have been vaccinated. They’re the ones who have brought us to this point.”
Those who haven’t gotten a shot yet should do so, he said.
“If you haven’t been vaccinated, your chances of getting COVID-19 are much higher than mine,” he said. “And, in addition, if you become ill, you can die. So I really hope people take a good look at themselves and get a shot if you haven’t done it.”
The state Supreme Court eliminated Evers’ statewide mask requirement in March in a 4-3 ruling that found he had lost the power to issue COVID-related orders because he hadn’t gotten approval from the Republican-run Legislature.
While there is no statewide mask requirement, ones issued by local governments remain in effect in some places, including Milwaukee.
“Those are all individual decisions that are being made,” Evers said when asked if he would encourage local governments to change their mask requirements. “I anticipate that it’s going to look pretty similar all across the state.”
Milwaukee’s mask mandate was created by ordinance, so any adjustments to it would have to be approved by the Common Council.
On Friday, Racine Mayor Cory Mason suspended enforcement of that city’s mask requirement. He said he would ask the Common Council to rescind the mask ordinance there next week.