The Wisconsin Senate is in session to (again) consider a COVID-19 bill.

Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, is proposing an amendment aimed at letting Republicans repeal Wisconsin's mask mandate while still receiving federal funding for food assistance.

The GOP amendment says the governor may declare "a public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic solely for the purpose of receiving emergency or other allotments under the federal Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Act of 2020."

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/proposal/2021/a0081

The Senate passes the amendment.

It essentially says the governor can declare an emergency just to qualify for federal funding.

And the Senate concurred in the rest of the Assembly's latest version of COVID-19 bill on a voice vote. It heads back to the Assembly.

The Senate's vote today could in theory let Assembly Republicans repeal the mask mandate without Wisconsin losing $50 mil/month in federal funding.

But the amendment was attached to the latest Assembly GOP COVID-19 bill, which included proposals @GovEvers may want to veto.

Senators had previously passed a COVID-19 bill based on a compromise between Senate Republicans & @GovEvers. Today's vote walked away from that.

@SenBewley suggests a likely veto.

"We have no reason to believe … that this bill is going to see the light of day."

Nass says the bill gives the state a way to keep receiving federal funds without the mask mandate.

"What we have done is to preserve those funds going forward."

Nass says an Evers veto would prevent that.

"He would be the one killing $49 million."