MADISON (WKOW) -- The Wisconsin Supreme Court late Tuesday denied a motion by a group of unions to intervene in a case brought by Legislative Republicans to overturn Gov. Tony Evers' Safer at Home extension.

"Safer at Home is working. It is saving lives," Evers said in a statement. "This lawsuit puts people’s lives at risk by trying to take away Safer at Home, the best and most effective tool we have to save lives and prevent our hospitals from being overrun."

A group of labor unions, including Madison Teachers Inc., sought to intervene in the lawsuit, but the court ruled against their participation in an order issued Tuesday afternoon.

Republican legislators asked the state Supreme Court on April 21 to block the order, arguing state Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm issued the order unilaterally without legislative approval.

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester), leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature, did not immediately offer comment.

"Wisconsinites deserve certainty, transparency, and a plan to end the constant stream of executive orders that are eroding both the economy and their liberty even as the state is clearly seeing a decline in COVID infections," the pair said in a joint statement issued when the lawsuit was filed.

The unions argued the Legislature has no standing to sue and Palm was within her rights when she issued the order.

The Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, Madison Teachers Inc., SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 filed a motion with the court Tuesday morning seeking to intervene in the case.

The governor said the Legislature wanted to subject DHS to long government rule-making processes not well-suited to deal with the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Deadly viruses don’t wait around while bureaucrats and politicians jump through procedural hoops," said Evers. "If Legislative Republicans want to be involved in the state’s response to this pandemic, they should stop sitting on the sidelines and start working to find solutions to help farmers, small businesses, and workers."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.