Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) issued three executive orders from May 1-7. As of May 7, Evers has issued 17 executive orders in 2023 — six more than he did at this point a year ago. The orders are:
- Executive Order #196, where the governor ordered flags to be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect for Army Air Forces First Lieutenant Roy Coulson Harms.
- Executive Order #197, where the governor ordered flags to be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect for the firefighters of Wisconsin who have died in the line of duty.
- Executive Order #198, where the governor ordered a special election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 24.
Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. During the week of May 1-7, the nation’s governors issued 26 executive orders. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued the most with 16. Governors in 41 states issued the fewest orders with zero. Republican governors issued 19 of the 26 orders, while Democratic governors issued seven.
Evers has served as governor since Jan. 7, 2019. He issued 31 executive orders in 2022 and 49 in 2021. Nationally, governors issued at least 1,558 executive orders in 2022. Governors have issued 568 executive orders in 2023. Republican governors issued 371, while Democratic governors issued 197. Wisconsin is a divided government, meaning neither party holds trifecta control.
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