Addressing gun control and environmental issues, Gov. Tony Evers signed executive orders Monday, pushing his fundamental policy platforms over the course of a week.
Evers, along with Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, announced the latest executive order, which initiates a special session to discuss gun control and focus on universal background checks Monday in Milwaukee, Wausau and Eau Claire.
The executive order is a push by Evers to follow through on promises made during the campaign trail to create stronger regulations to firearm access and more recent conversations about an Extreme Risk Protection Order.
“80 percent of Wisconsinites support universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, including those who are gun owners,” Evers noted. “Today, as promised, I’m calling on the Legislature to meet for a special session on gun safety reform.”
Many Republican legislators, including Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, responded on behalf of his party stating Republicans will continue to support the Second Amendment right of people in Wisconsin.
“As I have repeatedly said, we will not entertain proposals that infringe on our constitutional rights,” Vos said in a press release following the special session announcement.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, shared Vos’ thoughts on upholding Second Amendment rights and adding that the Senate, under his leadership, will not be a part of this action by the Governor’s office.
“After the governor opened the door to a long-term plan of gun confiscation at his press conference last month, it’s easy to see how today’s action could just be the first attack on the Second Amendment,” Fitzgerald said.
Despite the lack of Republican support, Evers made his intention clear.
“We can just have another special session. We can have serial special sessions if we need to,” he said.
Addressing concerns raised by the Global Climate Strike, Evers signed Executive Order #52 Oct. 17, establishing the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change to assist him in developing feasible strategies to increase conservation efforts.
With Barnes as the chairman, the bipartisan task force also includes legislators, business leaders and members of NGOs.
“All of Wisconsin can prosper in transitioning to a just and equitable clean economy,” Barnes said. “I’m eager to work alongside a number of brilliant and diverse individuals from across the state on this task force being created by Governor Evers, and I’m proud he’s given me the opportunity to lead it.”
The day before, the State Building Commission approved a budget to commit $131 million to renewable energy projects across the state — like allowing We Energies to construct a solar array at UW-Parkside and approval of a project to renovate Camp Randall Stadium and the Field House.
While Evers says the climate crisis is “real and immediate,” he has not budged on his goal of Wisconsin being 100 percent carbon-free by 2050 despite demands made during the Climate Strike calling for a carbon-free state by 2030.
state news writer
