WHITEHALL, Wis. – The Trempealeau County Board voted 15-1 against giving authority to the county health officer to enforce a mask mandate with fines. In a near-three hour heated meeting, dozens of citizens spoke their piece, mostly against enforcing the mask mandate. The theme was that enforcement would constitute government overreach and tread on individual rights. One citizen called it a government power grab using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse. Trempealeau County, population 29,400, has one of the highest COVID infection rates in Wisconsin proportionately — 2,914 cases and 26 deaths. The enforcement proposal included a $25 fine for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $100 for a third. In favor of the ordinance were members of a coalition of 80 businesses and organizations that see masks as important to public safety.
