Lawsuit over safer-at-home order not a good look

One role of our elected public officials is to serve the people they represent, and to help keep them safe. Never is that more true than during a public health emergency. Yet Wisconsin’s top Republican state lawmakers have resorted to filing a lawsuit trying to undo Governor Tony Evers’ extension of his safer-at-home order. They have petitioned the state Supreme Court to issue a ruling they hope would allow for the reopening of businesses in the state well before May 26, when the current order is set to expire. We all wish we could go to bars and restaurants again, but wishing doesn’t make it so.  Even if we relaxed the rules immediately, that doesn’t mean everything is over. In fact, no doubt, the virus would spread even faster. Governor Evers has a plan for reopening the state too, just not as quickly as many want. It requires a 14 day decline in statewide case numbers before we can even move into phase one of the recovery. It would require another 14 day decline in the  numbers before we can move to phase two, which is when bars and restaurants would be allowed to open on a limited basis, with fewer people at tables, and the tables farther apart. That plan makes sense, and largely mirrors the federal government guidelines. It is aimed at protecting public health and preserving lives, and that is what should remain our priority for now.