Wisconsin Assembly Bill 912 Passes Following Hunter Nation Amicus Brief

Madison, Wis. – Today, Assembly Bill 912 – a bill that would limit how wide-ranging emergency powers can go in declaring a business essential or non-essential – passed in the Wisconsin State Senate and heads to Gov. Evers to be signed into law.

Under the bill, no business may be declared essential or nonessential, and the emergency rulings must be applied uniformly. This bill will prevent the government from picking winners and losers under emergency orders and follows the decision of the Wisconsin Supreme Court who ruled on an issue like this during the pandemic response. Hunter Nation is grateful to the Legislature for passing this law and encourages Gov. Evers to sign the bill into law.

In 2020, Hunter Nation and the Wisconsin Lakeshore Business Association were the only groups that supported outdoorsmen and women that filed an amicus brief to the State Supreme Court concerning non-essential workers when these emergency rulings were threatening to shut down hunting and fishing. Thanks to this lawsuit, hunting and fishing was allowed to continue during the pandemic.

Hunter Nation CEO, Luke Hilgemann, expressed his excitement for the passing of this bill. “We are proud to be the only outdoor groups that filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit that saved hunting and fishing during the pandemic and are very glad to see this bill get passed to reinforce our rights to enjoy the outdoors. No bureaucrat in Madison should be able to tell someone in Marathon County that a pandemic or other ‘emergency’ will prevent them from enjoying God’s creation.”