May 13, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks statewide stay-at-home order

Orion Rummler

In this image, two signs read: "unlock the economy" and "stop the madness" — Demonstrators protest the state's stay-at-home order at the state capitol on April 24. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

Wisconsin's Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against the state's stay-at-home order, saying the state's health department exceeded its authority.

Flashback: The court last month blocked Gov. Tony Evers's executive order to delay in-person voting for the state's primary election, as other states have postponed primaries in an attempt to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Details: The stay-at-home order had called for schools to close for the rest of the academic year. The court blocked extensions to the safer stay-at-home order that went into effect on April 16, after being issued by the state's health department with the governor's blessing.

Where it stands: Wisconsin is reporting roughly 10,900 cases of the coronavirus and 421 deaths, per Johns Hopkins data as of Wednesday. Over 5,600 people have recovered from the virus in the state.

Go deeper: Wisconsin may be the start of the 2020 election wars

Add Axios on Google

Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks statewide stay-at-home order

What to read next