Supreme Court rejects appeal over press access in Wisconsin

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a conservative think tank over Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ decision to exclude the group’s writers from press briefings. The justices acted without comment Monday. They left in place lower court rulings that said the decision is legal. The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy filed the lawsuit in 2019 alleging that Evers, a Democrat, violated its staffers’ constitutional rights to free speech, freedom of the press and equal access. Former Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, had joined in the institute’s bid for high-court review. Evers defeated Walker in 2018. Last year, a federal judge rejected the group’s arguments, saying MacIver can still report on Evers without being invited to his press briefings.