>> ONE DAY BEFORE TUESDAY'S
% ELECTION, GOVERNOR TONY EVERS
% ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
% SUSPENDING IN-PERSON VOTING, BUT
% HIS MOVE FAILED IN THE COURTS.
% WHY DID HE WAIT?
% WHAT ARE HIS THOUGHTS AS
% WISCONSIN AWAITS ELECTION
% RETURNS ON MONDAY?
% WE ASK HIM THESE QUESTIONS AND
% MORE AS COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE
% TO MOUNT.
% HE HAS AGREED TO JOIN US EACH
% FRIDAY WITH THE LATEST UPDATES
% ON WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HE JOINS
% US NOW FROM THE CAPITOL.
% >> GOVERNOR, THANK VERY MUCH FOR
% JOINING US.
% WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
% >> THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
% >> WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE FOR
% NOVEMBER ELECTIONS GIVEN
% CONCERNS OVER POLLING PLACES AND
% BALLOTS IN THE SPRING ELECTION?
% >> WELL, CERTAINLY I THINK WITH
% A MILLION PEOPLE VOTING BY MAIL,
% OVER A MILLION PEOPLE VOTING BY
% MAIL, THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE
% TO CONSIDER.
% NOW, DO I THINK THE LEGISLATORS
% ARE GOING TO BE IN A POSITION OF
% DOING A MAIL-IN ONLY?
% I THINK THAT'S UNLIKELY.
% BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS
% WE'VE HAD OVER A MILLION PEOPLE
% VOTING IN THIS PRIMARY ELECTION,
% WHICH IS A LOW TURNOUT PRIMARY,
% AND I'M GOING TO KEEP PUSHING
% PEOPLE TO TAKE THAT INTO
% NOVEMBER, THAT IT IS EASIER AND
% MORE EFFECTIVE AND IT CAN BE
% DONE.
% AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO BE, YOU
% KNOW, BETTER ORGANIZED AHEAD OF
% TIME TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
% BUT I THINK PEOPLE HAVE VOTED
% WITH THEIR FEET AND THEY'VE
% INDICATED THAT THEY PERSONALLY
% WANT TO DO THIS.
% >> WHAT ABOUT FOR THE MAY DATE
% IN THE 7TH CONGRESSIONAL?
% WILL YOU CALL TO DELAY THAT?
% >> WELL, WE'RE STILL -- THAT'S
% UNDER CONSIDERATION.
% WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE
% SCIENCE.
% I KNOW PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF ME
% SAYING THAT.
% BUT IF INDEED WE FEEL THAT IT
% WILL ENDANGER PEOPLE
% HEALTH-WISE, THEN WE WILL LOOK
% AT A CHANGE.
% BUT WE'RE NOT AT THAT POINT NOW.
% >> WELL, WHEN YOU SAW IMAGES OF
% THOSE LONG LINES IN MILWAUKEE
% AND ELSEWHERE, WHAT DID YOU
% THINK?
% >> I THINK -- I THOUGHT THAT
% THIS IS A REASON I ORDERED THIS
% ELECTION TO BE PUSHED BACK AND
% WHY I WORKED HARD OVER SEVERAL
% WEEKS TO GET TO A DIFFERENT
% PLACE WITH LEGISLATIVE LEADERS.
% AND, YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T HAVE TO
% HAPPEN.
% IT DID HAPPEN.
% AND SO IT WAS FORCING PEOPLE TO
% DECIDE WHETHER TO VOTE OR
% WHETHER TO BE UNSAFE.
% AND IT WAS JUST -- MADE PEOPLE
% HAVE A -- FORCED THEM INTO
% MAKING CHOICES LIKE THAT.
% I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS FAIR,
% BUT THE COURT MADE THE RULING
% AND THAT WAS THAT.
% >> WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO
% TRY TO ORDER A DELAY IN
% IN-PERSON VOTING?
% >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IF I HAD
% DONE THAT ORDER TWO WEEKS
% EARLIER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE
% SAME RESULT.
% THE SUPREME COURT MADE IT VERY
% CLEAR.
% BUT I FELT THAT I HAD TO GIVE
% THE LEGISLATURE -- THEY HAVE A
% ROLE IN THIS, THAT THEY HAD THE
% OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT CHANGING
% IT IN SOME WAY, AND WE OBVIOUSLY
% GOT NO PLACE WITH THAT.
% AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY I
% KNEW I HAD TO DO THAT ORDER.
% >> WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO
% ABSENTEE BALLOT PROBLEMS THAT
% PREVENTED PEOPLE FROM GETTING
% ONE OR A CLERK FROM RECEIVING A
% COMPLETED BALLOT?
% >> THAT'S JUST IT.
% BEFORE I EVEN THINK ABOUT WHAT I
% SHOULD BE SAYING ABOUT THAT, I
% WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
% HAPPENED.
% AND WE ARE GOING TO FIND OUT.
% BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EVEN -- I
% DON'T EVEN FRANKLY KNOW WHETHER
% IT'S BALLOTS THAT HAVE NEVER
% BEEN DELIVERED TO VOTERS OR
% VOTERS SENDING BALLOTS TO THEIR
% MUNICIPALITY.
% THAT IS AN UNKNOWN YET.
% AND SO WE HAVE TO SORT THROUGH
% THAT.
% BUT CERTAINLY THAT ISN'T THE WAY
% WE WANT IT TO WORK NO MATTER
% WHICH WAY IT'S DONE.
% >> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO
% MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VOTE
% BECAUSE OF ALL THESE ISSUES?
% >> WELL, IT IS COMPLEX TIMES AND
% IT WILL BE LITIGATED, I AM SURE.
% AND CERTAINLY THE FEDERAL COURT
% ACTIVITY CONTRIBUTED TO THAT
% MIGHTILY IN THAT WE HAD
% DIFFERENT TIMES AND DATES AND
% EXPECTATIONS AT ONE TIME, AND
% THEN AT THE LAST MINUTE THE U.S.
% SUPREME COURT MADE THEIR
% DECISION.
% AND SO THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO
% BE SOME RECKONING WHAT HAPPENED
% THERE, TOO.
% BUT CLEARLY I'M SURE THERE ARE
% PEOPLE WHO FEEL DISENFRANCHISED
% BY THIS IN VERY REAL WAYS AND I
% ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL HAVE COURT
% DECISIONS ON THIS FOR SOME TIME.
% >> I UNDERSTAND THAT THE
% DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
% WILL STEP UP CONTACT TRACING TO,
% QUOTE, BETTER TRACK WISCONSIN
% RESIDENTS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN
% EXPOSED TO COVID-19 DURING
% TUESDAY'S ELECTION.
% WHAT WILL HEALTH OFFICIALS DO
% WITH THAT INFORMATION?
% >> YEAH.
% THE CONTACT TRACING IS REALLY
% IMPORTANT.
% AND IT'S IMPORTANT, AN IMPORTANT
% TOOL FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PEOPLE
% ANYWAY.
% BUT WE'LL BE -- I THINK THERE
% WILL BE 100 PEOPLE ON THE GROUND
% IN THE MILWAUKEE AREA AND OTHER
% AREAS OF THE STATE, I BELIEVE,
% TO ASK QUESTIONS OF -- ASK
% QUESTIONS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE --
% WITHIN THE NEXT 14 DAYS OR SO,
% YOU KNOW, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN
% THIS HAPPENED, WHAT WERE YOU
% WITH, THAT SORT OF THING.
% AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO ZERO IT
% INTO WHERE THAT HAPPENED AND WAS
% IT A RESULT OF VOTING OR NOT.
% OR AT LEAST CERTAINLY A GOOD
% ESTIMATE, GUESSTIMATE.
% BUT THE CONTRACT TRACING IS
% REALLY IMPORTANT, NOT JUST FOR
% THIS ELECTION BUT FOR OTHER
% THINGS GOING FORWARD.
% WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT STUFF IN
% PLACE BECAUSE ONCE WE GET TO A
% POINT WHERE WE'RE BACK TO NORMAL
% AND THINGS ARE OPERATING, WE
% STILL HAVE TO BE PROTECTIVE OF
% IT.
% PUBLIC HEALTH IS GOING TO LOOK A
% LOT DIFFERENT IN THE FUTURE THAN
% IT DOES RIGHT NOW.
% >> WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW WITH
% THIS OUTBREAK?
% HAVE THE SAFER AT HOME ORDERS
% YET FLATTENED THE CURVE?
% >> NOT YET, BUT WE BELIEVE IT
% WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH WORSE
% SITUATION IF WE HADN'T HAD THE
% SAFER AT HOME ORDER.
% I THINK IT'S BEEN REALLY
% IMPORTANT AND AT THE END OF THE
% DAY IT'S GOING TO BE VERY
% EFFECTIVE.
% BUT WE ARE NOT YET AT THE POINT
% WHERE THAT CURVE IS FLATTENED,
% AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO
% MONITOR THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS
% AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD
% BE DOING GOING FORWARD.
% BUT IT IS THE RIGHT THING.
% PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN, FRANKLY,
% HAVE RESPONDED QUITE WELL.
% I KNOW RESTRICTIONS AREN'T
% EVERYBODY'S TOP OF THEIR LIST,
% BUT WE NEED TO DO THIS.
% >> DO YOU EXPECT TO EXTEND YOUR
% STAY AT HOME ORDER PAST
% APRIL 24?
% SOME AT THIS POINT SEEM TO BE
% CALLING FOR IT TO BE LIFTED EVEN
% AHEAD OF THAT.
% >> YEAH.
% THAT'S -- I THINK WE NEED TO
% REALLY THINK HARD ABOUT THOSE
% KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
% THE LAST THING, WHETHER YOU'RE A
% BUSINESS OWNER OR SOMEBODY
% THAT'S UNEMPLOYED, THERE'S LOTS
% OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SUFFERING BY
% THIS.
% AND I'D SUGGEST THE ENTIRE STATE
% IS, IN RESPECT.
% BUT THE LAST THING WE WANT IS TO
% GO THROUGH ALL THIS WORK AND DO
% SOMETHING TOO SOON AND SUDDENLY
% HAVE A RECURRENCE AND THEN YOU
% AND I WILL BE SITTING HERE A
% YEAR FROM NOW TALKING ABOUT THE
% SAME THING.
% I'M GLAD TO COME BACK AND TALK
% ABOUT OTHER THINGS A YEAR FROM
% NOW.
% BUT THE LAST THING I WANT TO BE
% IS TALKING ABOUT THIS A YEAR
% FROM NOW.
% SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS
% VERY CAREFUL.
% >> WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT HOW
% COVID-19 IS DISPROPORTIONATELY
% AFFECTING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
% POPULATION?
% >> YEAH.
% IT'S A CRISIS WITHIN A CRISIS.
% THE CONTACT TRACING WE DO AROUND
% THE CONTENTION -- ELECTION,
% EXCUSE ME, IS REALLY IMPORTANT
% FOR ALL PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY
% WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE
% OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY OUR
% AFRICAN-AMERICAN FRIENDS AND
% NEIGHBORS, ARE BEING
% DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
% THIS.
% AND SO THAT CONTACT TRACING IS
% REALLY IMPORTANT THERE, TOO, SO
% THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED
% TO DO GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE
% THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
% >> LATE THIS WEEK, YOU ANNOUNCED
% THAT STATE FAIR PARK WILL BE
% TURNED INTO AN ALTERNATIVE CARE
% FACILITY.
% WHY IS THAT NEEDED AT THIS TIME?
% >> WELL, WE ANTICIPATE A SURGE
% IN PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE VIRUS
% AND ARE NEEDING HOSPITAL BEDS,
% AND SO THIS IS TO GET US TO THE
% POINT WHERE WE HAVE -- WE WILL
% ALWAYS HAVE MORE HOSPITAL BEDS
% THAN WE HAVE PEOPLE NEEDING
% THOSE BEDS.
% IF WE EVER GET THAT FLIPPED, IT
% WILL BE NEW YORK AND WE WILL BE
% IN A BAD PLACE.
% SO WE'RE WORKING WITH ARMY CORPS
% OF ENGINEERS AND NATIONAL GUARD
% AND FEMA TO CREATE THIS AT THE
% WISCONSIN STATE FAIR PARK.
% I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE
% KEEP AHEAD OF THAT CURVE.
% >> WHAT KIND OF CAPACITY WILL
% THAT FACILITY HAVE?
% >> WELL, I THINK THAT'S STILL
% BEING DECIDED, BUT WE ARE IN THE
% PROCESS OF USING THE EXPOSITION
% HALL, WHICH IS A LARGE FACILITY
% THERE.
% SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO GIVE US
% LOTS OF OPTIONS, BUT THE EXACT
% NUMBER OF BEDS YET ARE NOT -- TO
% MY KNOWLEDGE, IS NOT YET
% DETERMINED.
% >> YOU'VE ALSO JUST CLOSED 40
% STATE PARKS.
% WHY DID YOU TAKE THAT ACTION?
% >> THAT HURT.
% THAT HURT MIGHTILY.
% AS ONE THAT A COUPLE TIMES HAVE
% UTILIZED THE STATE PARKS IN THIS
% TRAUMATIC TIME.
% IT JUST BECAME TOO MUCH OF AN
% ISSUE OF PEOPLE -- FIRST OF ALL,
% THERE'S BAD ACTORS, VANDALISM,
% THINGS LIKE THAT.
% AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
% THAT WEREN'T APPROPRIATELY
% DISTANCING THEMSELVES, AND IT
% BECAME TOO MUCH OF A BURDEN TO
% KEEP IT OPEN AND, UNFORTUNATELY,
% WE HAD TO CLOSE DOWN MOST OF THE
% SYSTEM.
% >> HAS YOUR DEPARTMENT OF
% WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BEEN ABLE
% TO ADEQUATELY RESPOND TO THE
% HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
% UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS?
% >> WELL, WE'RE SURE WORKING HARD
% AT IT.
% WE'VE ADDED MORE PEOPLE.
% WE'VE ADDED MORE TECHNOLOGY.
% WE ARE HOPING THAT IN THIS
% BUDGET DELIBERATIONS WITH THE
% LEGISLATURE WE CAN GET SOME
% RESOURCES FOR MORE PEOPLE.
% WE MOVED PEOPLE AROUND IN ORDER
% TO DO THIS.
% BUT PEOPLE ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE
% -- AND THIS IS NO EXCUSE, BUT
% ONCE PEOPLE ARE DONE TAKING THAT
% INPUT FROM SOMEBODY ON THE PHONE
% OR ONLINE, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO
% PROCESS ALL THAT INFORMATION
% INTO THE SYSTEM SO THAT THEY GET
% THEIR CHECKS.
% SO IT'S A 24-HOUR-A-DAY EVENT.
% WE JUST NEED MORE PEOPLE TO MAKE
% IT HAPPEN.
% WELL OVER 90% OF PEOPLE ARE
% COMPLETING THIS ONLINE.
% WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH ON
% THAT.
% ARE WE SATISFIED WITH OUR
% RESULTS YET?
% NO.
% BUT I THINK WE WILL BE IN A
% BETTER PLACE.
% >> WHEN CAN PEOPLE EXPECT THOSE
% ENHANCED BENEFITS THAT ARE PART
% OF THE FEDERAL STIMULUS PACKAGE?
% >> WELL, WE'RE STILL RECEIVING
% INFORMATION FROM THE FEDERAL
% GOVERNMENT ON THAT.
% I HEARD IT WAS GOING TO BE VERY,
% VERY SOON.
% TREASURY DEPARTMENT WHICH
% FRANKLY ISN'T A DEPARTMENT THAT
% HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH PROVIDING
% GUIDANCE MATERIALS FOR
% SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, THEY WON'T
% BE GETTING THEIR FINAL GUIDANCE
% OUT UNTIL THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
% SO HOPEFULLY THAT MONEY THAT
% WILL BE GOING -- THE ADDITIONAL
% MONEY THAT WILL BE GOING TO
% UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WILL BE
% THERE VERY SOON.
% >> MEANWHILE, AS YOU WELL KNOW,
% LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ARE WORKING
% ON THEIR OWN COVID-19 RESPONSE
% PACKAGE AND ARE SET TO TAKE THAT
% UP NEXT WEEK.
% HOW WELL DOES THAT PACKAGE
% DOVETAIL WITH YOUR OWN
% PROPOSALS?
% >> WELL, WE'RE WAITING TO SEE.
% WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
% REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP AND I KNOW
% THE DEMOCRATS AND THE
% LEGISLATURE HAVE.
% BUT UNTIL I GET A CHANCE TO SEE
% IT, IT'S HARD TO REACT TO.
% I KNOW AT ONE POINT IN TIME --
% AND I'M STILL VERY CONCERNED
% ABOUT IT, AND TO ME IT'S A
% POISON PILL TO HAVE -- GIVE SO
% MUCH AUTHORITY -- ONE OF THEIR
% PROPOSALS WAS TO GIVE SO MUCH
% AUTHORITY TO THE JOINT FINANCE
% COMMITTEE.
% AND THE ESSENCE OF THAT IS A
% SMALL GROUP OF FOLKS WOULD BE
% ABLE TO GUT THE BUDGET AND MAKE
% CUTS ON THEIR OWN VOLITION,
% WHICH COMPLETELY IS NOT
% ACCEPTABLE TO ME.
% SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT PIECE
% IS NOT IN THE LEGISLATION
% BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO VETO
% SOME VERY IMPORTANT THINGS
% BECAUSE OF THAT.
% >> WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU
% TO BE IN ANY KIND OF PACKAGE
% LIKE THAT?
% >> WELL, CERTAINLY WE HAVE --
% THE ONE WEEK OF -- THAT THE
% FEDERAL GOVERNMENT -- AND
% UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IS AN
% EXAMPLE.
% IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE
% FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAID WE WON'T
% DELAY IT, WON'T BE THAT ONE-WEEK
% WAITING PERIOD.
% WE HAVE TO HAVE THE STATE
% GOVERNMENT SAY THE SAME AND ONLY
% OUR LEGISLATURE CAN MAKE THAT
% HAPPEN THROUGH A BILL.
% AND THIS HAS TO BE A PART OF IT.
% THAT'S A HUGE THING.
% THAT'S IMPACTING ALL SORTS OF
% PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF
% WISCONSIN.
% THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE NEED AS
% RELATES TO MAKING SURE THAT OUR
% LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS AND
% COUNTY HEALTH AGENCIES ARE IN A
% GOOD PLACE SO THAT THEY CAN
% CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORK, BUT
% ALSO GOOD WORK GOING FORWARD.
% BUT ONE WEEK OF MAKING SURE THAT
% PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT THAT
% ADDITIONAL WEEK IS THE MOST
% IMPORTANT THING FOR ME.
% >> ALL RIGHT.
% GOVERNOR EVERS, WE LEAVE IT
% THERE.
% WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
% TIME TODAY AND WE LOOK FORWARD
% TO CHECKING IN WITH YOU EACH
% FRIDAY AS THIS PROGRESSES AND,
% AS YOU SAY, HOPEFULLY IN A YEAR
% OR SO WE'LL BE ON TALKING WITH
% YOU ABOUT OTHER MATTERS.
% THANKS VERY MUCH.
% >> THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
% >> DESPITE OBJECTIONS FROM THE