In a press call with reporters Tuesday, Evers denounced the lawsuit as nothing more than a “power grab by legislative Republicans.”

“Peoples’ lives should always come first, not politics and power,” Evers said. “Legislative Republicans, frankly, have said to the people of Wisconsin, ‘Our power, our political power, is more important than your health.’”

The outlook

Republicans may have success in the conservative-majority high court, which about two weeks ago struck down Evers’ order to delay the April 7 election. On Tuesday the court ordered the defendants to respond by April 28 and plaintiffs to offer their rebuttal by April 30.

Evers said he is confident the court will rule in his favor.

“They understand that by delaying efforts, that people are going to die,” Evers said. “This isn’t just some academic endeavor here. People die every day because of this and the more we screw around with it, the more people die.”

Attorneys for the Legislature say the state will be irreparably harmed if the order persists, and is arbitrary, capricious and exceeds the administration’s authority.