Voting along party lines, the Republican-led Wisconsin Supreme Court, on May 13, struck down the state's stay-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic as "unlawful, invalid, and unenforceable" after finding that the state's health secretary exceeded her authority, NBC News reported.
In a four-to-three ruling, the court called Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm's directive, known as Emergency Order 28, a "vast seizure of power."
The ruling says the judges were not challenging Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' emergency powers, however, the decision effectively undercuts his administration and forces him to work out a compromise with the Republican-controlled state legislature.
Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald claimed in a joint statement after filing their lawsuit that there's "immense frustration regarding the extension" of the order and that Evers "has denied the people a voice through this unprecedented administrative overreach," CNN.com added.