MADISON, Wis. — Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature introduced a sweeping COVID-19 bill on Monday, the first day of the session, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said lawmakers will fast track it and pass it later in the week.

The measure, which would prohibit mandatory vaccinations for COVID-19, got a lukewarm response from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who didn’t say whether he would sign or veto the bill. Evers had been working with Republicans for weeks on a measure both sides could agree to, but Republicans on Monday ditched that potential compromise.

The development came after Evers called on the Wisconsin Legislature to pass his proposed COVID-19 relief bill before any other in the session Monday. Vos said the Republican bill had 44 provisions; these include coverage of COVID-19 testing and vaccination without cost-sharing, authorizing dentists to administer COVID-19 and flu vaccines, full-time open enrollment application extension, and more.

“The proposal we are introducing today has over 44 provisions to help fight the virus and reopen our economy,” Vos said. “The bill was negotiated with the Senate and includes many items from our bipartisan discussions with the Governor. I urge my legislative colleagues to join together to approve the bill and provide the help Wisconsinites need.”

The Republican coronavirus proposal differs in many ways from what Evers called on the Legislature to pass, although it also includes many ideas Democrats support. Evers’ spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said it was “disappointing” that lawmakers weren’t taking up what the governor put forward.

Meanwhile, Assembly Democrats quickly issued their own COVID-19 response bill on Monday as well.

It calls for more than $600 million in state funding, including $58 for community testing sites and $12 million for vaccine distribution and awareness. The plan uses federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act money for rental assistance, food assistance, child care, and grants for small businesses.

The measure would also require employers to provide hazard pay to certain health care workers as well as 15 days paid medical leave to those workers if they get sick and state-funded testing and treatment.​

Democrats’ COVID-19 legislation is similar to Evers’ bill, but includes more measures for frontline workers.

Republicans and Evers have been unable to agree on a COVID-19 bill. But Evers urged fast action. 

Majority Republicans have shown little interest in accepting the Evers COVID-19 proposal, which he first floated two weeks ago and said includes only items that Republicans have agreed to. The Legislature has not voted on anything since April, when it passed the first COVID-19 response package early in the pandemic.

“It would be inexplicable after more than 260 days of inaction for any other issue or topic to be taken up by the legislature prior to passing a bill to address COVID-19,” Evers wrote.

The bill Evers proposed made some concessions to Republicans, like extending hours at the state’s unemployment call center, as well as measures the GOP opposes such as continuing the suspension of a one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits that began in July. Evers in November originally proposed a $541 million plan, which Republicans rejected as too costly.

The Evers proposal also does not include dozens of ideas put forward by Assembly Republicans that Democrats oppose, including cutting aid to schools that don’t return to in-person classes.

The new session kicked off Monday with Assembly Democrats skipping a swearing-in ceremony, citing the lack of a mask mandate for those on the Assembly floor. They were sworn in last week virtually. Republican lawmakers wore masks Monday, and stood at a distance, as they were sworn in by a mask-wearing Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack.

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin peaked in mid-November and has been declining since, but the seven-day average has been slowly increasing over the past week. To date, nearly 488,000 Wisconsin residents have tested positive and 4,884 have died.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.