The Republican-led Wisconsin state assembly halted a vote Thursday that would have repealed the state’s mask requirement because of concerns the move would jeopardize nearly $50 million in food assistance to low-income people.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the assembly was “hitting the pause button” on the vote and would likely return to the issue as soon as next week, according to the Star Tribune.
“We don’t want to rush into anything,” Vos said, according to the report. Vos reportedly wasn’t aware that rescinding the mask mandate could strip the state of $49 million in federal aid until he read reports about it.
“I hate being caught by surprise,” Vos said, according to the Star Tribune. “We usually don’t have that happen in the Legislature.”
.@repvos on learning that ending the emergency order and mask requirement could cost the state $49 million a month in food assistance:
“I hate being caught by surprise.”
— Patrick Marley (@patrickdmarley) January 28, 2021
The state Senate had passed the resolution that would rescind Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ mask mandate, which was part of the state’s emergency health order, Tuesday, according to ABC News.
The state Senate attempted to solve the issue, passing a bill Thursday that included a provision to give the governor the authority to issue emergency health orders solely to receive federal funds. The bill, however, was part of a larger COVID-19 bill that risked getting vetoed by Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers because of provisions that would prevent employers from forcing employees to get vaccinated, the Star Tribune reported.
Vos said he believes the state Senate amendment will work, but that legislators need to do their due diligence and ensure funds are safe before making a final vote, according to a tweet from CBS 58 Reporter Emilee Fannon.
“I think the amendment that we worked with in the Senate that adopted AB1 probably fixes the issue but I don’t know that for sure. And our job is to guarantee when we pass legislation we know what the ramifications are.”
“I think the amendment that we worked with in the Senate that adopted AB1 probably fixes the issue but I don’t know that for sure. And our job is to guarantee when we pass legislation we know what the ramifications are.” –@SpeakerVos (1/2) https://t.co/4MXIltdtIh
— Emilee Fannon (@Emilee_Fannon) January 28, 2021
Democratic Minority Leader Gordon Hintz was relieved that the emergency order was safe – at least for now, according to the Star Tribune.
“It’s a win for the public, a win for public health,” he said.
The Senate and Assembly can pass a joint resolution in order to rescind the policy, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Republicans argued Evers exceeded his authority when he issued emergency health declarations like the mask mandate without seeking legislative approval every 60 days, according to ABC News.
Congress, however, included a provision in the COVID-19 package passed last year that gave states additional funds for food stamps if they have an emergency health order in place, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Approximately 243,000 households could lose out on $49.3 million in monthly assistance if the legislature ends Evers’ emergency order without a replacement, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The effects could be more severely felt for low-income senior citizens, who currently receive $204 a month for food, according to the report. Their monthly benefits, however, might now drop to $16. (RELATED: REPORT: Gun Sellers Can’t Keep Up With Demand In Wisconsin)
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau issued a letter Wednesday also warning that the move would mean the state loses millions of dollars.
Before the Wisconsin Assembly was to meet to revoke the governor’s health emergency, the basis for the state’s mask mandate, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau reports not having that emergency would mean the state is not eligible for tens of millions of dollars in federal food help. pic.twitter.com/CRPp4qzW6u
— Jason Calvi (@JasonCalvi) January 28, 2021
Evers issued the mask mandate at the end of July 2020 that went into effect on Aug. 1 citing an increase in coronavirus cases, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Under the order, everyone over the age of 5 is required to mask up in public when both indoors or in any enclosed open space that is open to the public like park structures, public transit and outdoor dining facilities, according to the report.