
Rick Esenberg: Wisconsin emergency powers and their limits
Can a governor effectively suspend economic activity in a state and impose strict restrictions on public life? The answer is not clear.
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Can a governor effectively suspend economic activity in a state and impose strict restrictions on public life? The answer is not clear.

Social distancing doesn’t mean you have to forego your civic duty, especially in this electronic age. There are two big events coming up that you shouldn’t – and in one case mustn’t – skip: the April election and the 2020 census.

A Milwaukee Democrat accuses Wisconsin Republican Congressmen of “neglect and willful ignorance drenched in reckless abandon” for voting no on a bill they weren’t given time to read.

Getting buzz nationally. Is his critique warranted?

Does the governor’s administration have the authority to close down churches, especially when other exceptions are being made?

Let’s make sure we support each other through these hard times.

History tells us panic is the fastest way to expand government and curtail liberties.

Before Johnson makes any more shameful comments about any program aimed at making the lives of people run smoother during this pandemic, he might take the advice of grandmothers everywhere and look to see what in his own yard might first need tending.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is the ideal crossover candidate. On the one hand, she can excite progressive voters. But she has also demonstrated that she can win over a much more moderate electorate in a general election.

State’s annual rainfall up by 7 inches and “100-year floods” now happen routinely.

By appointing a clean energy advocate to the commission charged with deciding whether new oil pipelines are “in the public interest,” Gov. Tony Evers is showing that he understands that Wisconsin’s energy future will not be like its past.

As we work to slow the spread of COVID-19 — and mitigate the economic and very personal effects that come with those actions — we have to look for the helpers. For the most vulnerable among us, this is where relief will be found. And for the more privileged among us, it is where we will find guidance and inspiration to do our part. For those of us who are able, it’s time to be the helpers.

House passed relief bill goes to Senate, Johnson and Baldwin should support it.

Let’s not let panic over the Coronavirus lead Wisconsin down a policy path which we will come to regret in the future.

While some states are experiencing election crises this spring — for reasons beyond their control and for reasons they should have controlled — Wisconsin does not have to be one of them.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel suggests state Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm somehow can’t concentrate on the public campaign against the novel coronavirus because the Senate has yet to confirm her.


As more individuals are being tested across Wisconsin and confirmed cases are likely to rise, it’s crucial we all take this seriously.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com. There are thousands of coronavirus cases in the U.S., including dozens in Wisconsin. Americans are dying. Democratic and GOP governors are

Life will again return to normal, but it will take time, patience and sacrifice. In the meantime, let’s remember that we’re all in this together.
Can a governor effectively suspend economic activity in a state and impose strict restrictions on public life? The answer is not clear.

Social distancing doesn’t mean you have to forego your civic duty, especially in this electronic age. There are two big events coming up that you shouldn’t – and in one case mustn’t – skip: the April election and the 2020 census.

A Milwaukee Democrat accuses Wisconsin Republican Congressmen of “neglect and willful ignorance drenched in reckless abandon” for voting no on a bill they weren’t given time to read.

Getting buzz nationally. Is his critique warranted?

Does the governor’s administration have the authority to close down churches, especially when other exceptions are being made?

Let’s make sure we support each other through these hard times.

History tells us panic is the fastest way to expand government and curtail liberties.

Before Johnson makes any more shameful comments about any program aimed at making the lives of people run smoother during this pandemic, he might take the advice of grandmothers everywhere and look to see what in his own yard might first need tending.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is the ideal crossover candidate. On the one hand, she can excite progressive voters. But she has also demonstrated that she can win over a much more moderate electorate in a general election.

State’s annual rainfall up by 7 inches and “100-year floods” now happen routinely.

By appointing a clean energy advocate to the commission charged with deciding whether new oil pipelines are “in the public interest,” Gov. Tony Evers is showing that he understands that Wisconsin’s energy future will not be like its past.

As we work to slow the spread of COVID-19 — and mitigate the economic and very personal effects that come with those actions — we have to look for the helpers. For the most vulnerable among us, this is where relief will be found. And for the more privileged among us, it is where we will find guidance and inspiration to do our part. For those of us who are able, it’s time to be the helpers.

House passed relief bill goes to Senate, Johnson and Baldwin should support it.

Let’s not let panic over the Coronavirus lead Wisconsin down a policy path which we will come to regret in the future.

While some states are experiencing election crises this spring — for reasons beyond their control and for reasons they should have controlled — Wisconsin does not have to be one of them.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel suggests state Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm somehow can’t concentrate on the public campaign against the novel coronavirus because the Senate has yet to confirm her.


As more individuals are being tested across Wisconsin and confirmed cases are likely to rise, it’s crucial we all take this seriously.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com. There are thousands of coronavirus cases in the U.S., including dozens in Wisconsin. Americans are dying. Democratic and GOP governors are

Life will again return to normal, but it will take time, patience and sacrifice. In the meantime, let’s remember that we’re all in this together.