Gov. Tony Evers' administration overstepped its authority when it extended his Safer at Home emergency order through May 26, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, May 13.
The order, issued in March with an end date of April 24, was later extended to May 26 due to further concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Republicans had sought a temporary injunction to block the extension, with a six-day stay — which would have come May 20, if granted — to give state health officials time to go through the rule-making process.
However, the majority opinion, authored by Chief Justice Roggensack, does not grant such a stay. The ruling's impact on the order thus takes immediate effect.