Governor Tony Evers on Monday said that he does not have a "secret plan" to close Wisconsin's schools for the fall semester...meaning that he almost certainly has a secret plan to close Wisconsin's schools.
This would be in keeping with pretty much every major policy decision Evers has made since the start of the pandemic, which was invariably preceded by Evers swearing that he wouldn't do whatever it was he was about to do.
On March 20, as other states began enacting lockdowns and rumors swirled that Evers was about to do the same, he said explicitly during a news conference that he would not issue a shutdown order.
“I believe we will be able to avoid that,” he said. “We do not have plans to shelter in place, we think what we have going right now works and will continue to work.”
Three days later, Governor Evers announced his "Safer at Home" lockdown order.
On July 7, Evers said he did not believe he had the legal authority to issue a statewide mask mandate. Less than a month later, he issued a statewide mask mandate.
Evers' promise this week that he is not eyeing a school closure fits in with what has become a clear pattern: A definitive statement followed almost immediately by the exact opposite action.
Don't be surprised if schools are shut down within the next week or so.