Contact: Senator Devin LeMahieu, 608-266-2056

“Evers’ actions are constitutionally suspect and a flagrant invasion of medical privacy.”

Madison – Today, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s new COVID mandates on state employees:

“Last Thursday, I sent a letter to Governor Tony Evers requesting the legal authority under which he began requesting the disclosure of private, sensitive medical information from state employees regarding their vaccination status. The response from his administration lacked any mention of the laws or authority which would allow this type of invasive request.

“Today, Governor Evers’ Administration – not on the basis of law but rather through coerced medical disclosures from workers – has issued a sweeping new testing mandate on state employees and contractors.

“Governor Evers seems intent on following Joe Biden into legal quicksand in their continued attempts to exert unilateral control over people’s lives. Our American system of checks and balances is specifically designed to prevent the type of concentration of power currently being exercised around the state and nation. Lawmaking is for state legislatures and congress, not tyrannical governors or presidents.

“The disturbing trend in recent years of top-down rule by the executive branch has been stretched to the breaking point during the pandemic. If Governor Evers is allowed to execute new, nondelegated powers over state employees, he will surely extend further mandates onto all People of Wisconsin, as he has done before.

“As the Legislature, we cannot and should not allow unilateral control over the lawmaking process to authoritarian executives at the state or federal levels. Joe Biden and Tony Evers have shown a contempt and mistrust for people who don’t see the world as they do. Whether they like it or not, our individual rights are granted by our Creator and protected by the Constitution.

“The State Senate will explore all options within our authority to protect the rights of Wisconsinites and prevent further abuses by overreaching executives – be them from Governor Evers or President Biden.”

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