Lawsuit Filed to Stop Release of Businesses Connected to COVID-19 Cases; Temporary Restraining Order Issued

On Oct. 1, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) filed suit in Waukesha County seeking an injunction to prevent the Evers’ administration from releasing names of businesses who have had at least two employees test positive for Covid-19 – regardless of where the employees contracted the virus. Later that day, a Waukesha County circuit judge issued a temporary order halting the release of business names, which reportedly had been planned for Friday.

This issue was previously raised in July, when it was believed that the Governor’s administration was going to release business names. After months of delay and publicly stating he would not release the names, the governor has reversed course. The release of this information is in response to multiple open record requests from the media.