Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, says several provisions the GOP Assembly added back to the COVID-19 bill are likely a “red flag” for Gov. Tony Evers that diminish its prospects of becoming law.

The Assembly amended the bill yesterday to add back some provisions that the Senate took out as part of a deal LeMahieu reached with Evers. That includes putting back provisions that would ban allowing an employer to require a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment and one that would strip state and local officials of their powers to limit gatherings at houses of worship to combat the pandemic.

“We are concerned that the changes that the Assembly made will cause the governor to veto the bill, and all along we wanted to make sure that we produced a bill that the governor could sign and would address the needs of Wisconsin,” LeMahieu told WisPolitics.com after the Assembly’s action.

LeMahieu said the Senate GOP caucus will continue meeting to discuss its next steps with the bill before taking it up tomorrow.

Assembly Republicans added two amendments to the bill. One includes more than a dozen provisions, including those banning mandatory vaccines. LeMahieu said some of the other changes might not prompt an Evers veto. The second amendment included a provision that would give the Legislature oversight of federal COVID-19 funds. LeMahieu doubted Evers would agree to that provision.

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