Local governments working on when to order business closings

Who gets to decide when a business has to close because of a public health emergency? 

Wisconsin is still trying to set down rules, with some bars, stores, and other businesses closing for a second time after a spike in coronavirus. 

La Crosse County administrator Steve O’Malley is on a statewide commission laying out standards for getting businesses to temporarily close shop, and he

Public protests and a state Supreme Court ruling led to the reopening of businesses around Wisconsin in May, after weeks of closure to limit the coronavirus, but sudden rises in COVID levels have forced some La Crosse area businesses to close again. 

At a board meeting last week, supervisor Rick Cornforth asked how much power the board might have to regulate business, compared to the health department.

“I’m getting a lot of feedback from constituents,” said Cornforth. “There’s a concern that we’re all just sitting around on our hands, while the health department’s doing a great job of reporting the numbers and educating the public.”