Walker Says Wisconsin Should Reopen
Ex-governor tells far-right Breitbart News he’s concerned about citizens’ civil liberties.
Scott Walker. File photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker told the far-right conservative site Breitbart News it’s time for Wisconsin to reopen.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers defeated Walker in the 2018 election. But, more than a thousand people protested in Madison Friday over the Evers administration’s extension of a stay-at-home order aimed at preventing the spread of the new coronavirus.
Walker told the site he’s concerned about the new coronavirus, but he’s equally worried about the economy. He said he’s also concerned about local and state officials intruding on people’s civil liberties.
Although, he said people should be keeping a safe distance and wearing masks if they’re taking part in rallies, noting disregard for safety would likely lead officials “to keep us locked in longer.”
When asked whether the extension was a political move, Walker said, “I don’t know if it’s political as much as he doesn’t know what to do.”
A spokesperson for Gov. Evers didn’t respond to a request for comment Sunday.
The former governor said the state should be making decisions based on the data, calling a recent surge in cases in Green Bay an anomaly. Walker also said state leaders could do a better job explaining steps that are being taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 and get the economy back on track.
Evers laid out the “Badger Bounce Back” plan for reopening the state economy in the last week, which would reopen businesses in several phases. The Democratic governor has said the state would need to see a 14-day decrease in new infections and positive tests before allowing restaurants, schools and child care centers to reopen with social distancing requirements.
Evers has said he hopes the state can reopen some businesses before the end of the safer-at-home extension, which runs through May 26.
Report: Former Gov. Scott Walker Says Wisconsin Should Reopen was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Governors Tony Evers, JB Pritzker, Tim Walz, and Gretchen Whitmer Issue a Joint Statement Concerning Reports that Donald Trump Gave Russian Dictator Putin American COVID-19 Supplies - Gov. Tony Evers - Oct 11th, 2024
- MHD Release: Milwaukee Health Department Launches COVID-19 Wastewater Testing Dashboard - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Jan 23rd, 2024
- Milwaukee County Announces New Policies Related to COVID-19 Pandemic - County Executive David Crowley - May 9th, 2023
- DHS Details End of Emergency COVID-19 Response - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 26th, 2023
- Milwaukee Health Department Announces Upcoming Changes to COVID-19 Services - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Mar 17th, 2023
- Fitzgerald Applauds Passage of COVID-19 Origin Act - U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 10th, 2023
- DHS Expands Free COVID-19 Testing Program - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 10th, 2023
- MKE County: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising - Graham Kilmer - Jan 16th, 2023
- Not Enough Getting Bivalent Booster Shots, State Health Officials Warn - Gaby Vinick - Dec 26th, 2022
- Nearly All Wisconsinites Age 6 Months and Older Now Eligible for Updated COVID-19 Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Dec 15th, 2022
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here
“I don’t know if it’s political as much as he doesn’t know what to do.”
Ya sure, Ollie. Ol’ Evers is making dos decisions in a vacuum. I hear he won’t talk to nobody.
Just go away !!!
Who is making the covid-19 pandemic political? It’s Trump, Vos, Fitzgerald and now Walker. Had Republicans taken this seriously back when Wuhan, China was lock down, maybe, just maybe, the experience in this country could be more like that in South Korea, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. There is blood on the hands of Republicans. As for Walker, he needs to crawl back into his hole. He never did have the best interest of Wisconsin voters in mind.
I really had not thought about irrelevant Walker recently. Now he pops up on Breitbart and says Evers just doesn’t know what to do. First he is doing a lot, despite being undercut by Vos and Fitzgerald. Second, now I am thinking what it would be like here in Wisconsin if marionette Scooter was at the helm, responding to Covid 19?! Taking direction from his donors, WMC, from ALEC, from you name it. Very unsettling to conjure.