>> REPUBLICAN MAJORITIES IN BOTH
HOUSES OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE
PASSED A NUMBER OF BILLS THIS
WIEK INCLUDING CHANGES TO STATE
ELECTION PROCEDURES.
THE HOTTEST DEBATE WAS WITH
REGARD TO HOW TO SPEND THE OVER
$3 BILLION FEDERAL STIMULUS
MONEY.
ONE PLAN DIRECTS 10% OF THEIR
LAST PROPERTY BILL TO PROPERTY
OWNERS.
THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR OVER $1
BILLION.
REPUBLICANS APRUDE A APPROVED A PLAN TO
PAY OFF STATE DEBT, $310 MEN TO10 MILLION
TO SHORE UP UNEMPLOYMENT AND
COMMUNICATIONS UPGRADE AND A
MENTAL HEALTH CENTER IN NORTHERN
WISCONSIN.
DEMOCRATS SAY USING THE FUNDS IN
THOSE WAYS IS NOT ALLOWED BASED
ON FEDERAL GUIDELINES AND AS
INTERPRETED BY THE FISCAL
BUREAU.
THE BILLS MAY HAVE THE WORD
"VETO" WRITTEN ALL OVER THEM.
GOVERNOR EVERS SAID LEGISLATIVE
OVERSIGHT WOULD ONLY SLOW DOWN
THE RELEASE OF THE MONEY.
>> I CAN'T IMAGINE HAVING THE
JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE BEING IN
CHARGE OF THAT, WHERE ONE
SENATOR CAN RAISE HIS HAND AND
-- HIS OR HER HAND AND SAY,
SORRY, I DON'T LIKE THAT.
WHERE DO YOU GO?
YOU DO NOTHING.
>> GOVERNOR TONY EVERS SPEAKING
IN LA CROSSE ON THURSDAY.
EARLIER, I SPOKE WITH SENATE
MAJORITY LEADER DEVIN LEMAHIEU.
>> WHY DO YOU WANT THE
LEGISLATURE TO CONTROL HOW THE
FEDERAL COVID STIMULUS IS SPENT?
>> THE LEGISLATURE HAS AN
IMPORTANT JOB THAT WE'RE WORKING
ON, THE BUDGET, GOING FORWARD.
AND WITH THIS LAST ROUND OF
SPENDING BY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, $1.9 TRILLION
NATIONALLY, WITH OVER $5.7
BILLION COMING INTO THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN, WE FEEL THAT IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO
HAVE A VOICE IN HOW THAT $3.2
BILLION THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS
SOLE DISCREFTION OVER DISCRETION IS OVER TO
SPEND.
IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE ENTER THE
BUDGET PROCESS GOING FORWARD.
WITHOUT A FRAMEWORK OR A
ROADMAP, WE'RE SORT OF FLYING
BLIND GOING INTO THE BUDGET
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW IF THE
GOVERNOR IS SITTING THERE WITH
ALL KINDS OF FEDERAL MONEY IN
ITS POCKETS.
IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO DEVELOP
A BUDGET.
>> DO YOU NOT THINK THAT
GOVERNOR EVERS IS SPENDING THE
FEDERAL FUNDS IN THE RATE RIGHT WAY?
>> WE DON'T KNOW HOW HE'S GOING
TO SPEND THE FUNDS.
WE DON'T KNOW.
SO WE CHOSE -- THE GOAL BEHIND
OUR 11-BILL PLAN IMPORTANT
SPENDING THIS FEDERAL FUNDS IS
TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S INVESTING
IN ONE-TIME ITEMS TO MAKE SURE
THAT IT'S NOT CAUSING A FUTURE
DEFICIT BY USING IT FOR ONGOING
EXPENSES AND MAKING SURE WE'RE
INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND SMALL
BUSINESSES, IN FAMILIES WHO ARE
PAYING PROPERTY TAXES.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
HARDEST HIT FOR SOME OF THE
PERSONAL RELIEF.
AND ALSO INVESTING LONG-TERM
INTO INFRASTRUCTURE SO CAN HAVE
LONG-TERM EFFECTS, SUCH AS
BROADBAND, LOCAL ROADS, THINGS
LIKE THAT.
>> THERE IS SOME CROSSOVER
BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND
MAJORITY REPUBLICANS ON THINGS
LIKE BROADBAND, SMALL BUSINESS
AND TOURISM.
WHY NOT KIND OF WORK TOGETHER SO
THAT YOU CAN WORK ON THIS
ROADMAP TOGETHER?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE
WANTED TO DO.
THAT'S WHY WE CAME IN LAST MONTH
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND PASSED
THE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT BILL
GIVING APPROVAL OVER HOW THIS
MONEY IS SPENT IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
THE GOVERNOR VETOED THAT THE
MINUTE IT CAME TO HIS DESK.
IT APPEARS THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS
NO DESIRE TO INCLUDE US IN THIS
PROCESS.
WE FEEL THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO
JUST PUT THAT ROADMAP OUT THERE
ON HOW WE THINK IT SHOULD BE
BEST SPENT.
>> WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOVERNOR
EVERS VETOES THE BILLS?
>> THEN I GUESS WE'RE STARTING
FROM SCRATCH AGAIN, AND LIKE I
MENTIONED EARLIER, IT MAKES IT
VERY TOUGH TO DEVELOP A BUDGET.
THE GOVERNOR HAS, YOU KNOW,
BROADBAND SPENDING IN THE
BUDGET.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF HE'S GOING
TO SPEND MONEY ON BROADBAND WITH
THE FEDERAL MONEY.
SO HOW CAN WE PUT THAT IN THE
BUDGET?
HE HAS REPLACING LEAD PIPES IN
MILWAUKEE IN THE BUDGET.
WE HAD THAT IN ONE OF OUR BILLS.
IF HE VETOES IT, HOW DO WE PUT
THAT IN THE BUDGET?
THAT'S THE DPLEAM WE'RE THE DILEMMA WE'RE FACING.
>> WHAT IS SOME OF THE SPENDING
IN YOUR BILLS THAT'S NOT ALLOWED
UNDER THE FEDERAL BILL?
>> WE DON'T KNOW THAT FOR
CERTAIN AT THIS POINT.
THERE ARE FISCAL BUREAU PAPERS
PUT OUT THAT ARE SPECULATING ON
WHAT THE FEDERAL GUIDANCE MIGHT
BE.
BUT THE U.S. TREASURY HASN'T
ISSUED THAT GUIDANCE YET.
BUT WE FEEL THAT IT'S IMPORTANT
TO PUT THOSE PRIORITIES OUT
THERE.
HOPEFULLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
GIVES A BROADER, BROADER -- IN
THEIR GUIDANCE BROADER USE OF
THAT FUNDS TO MAKE SURE WE CAN
INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
SOME OF THE BILLS WE THINK FOR
SURE WILL BE COVERED UNDER THIS
AND SOME MIGHT NOT BE, THEY
MIGHT BE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO
PUT THOSE PRIORITIES OUT THERE.
>> ON A DIFFERENT MATTER BUT
RELATED, WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO
THE EVERS' ADMINISTRATION MAKING
KIND OF A SAVING CONSTRUCTION TO
GET THE ENHANCED FOODSHARE
FEDERAL FUNDING?
IS THAT A GOOD THINGN YOUR THING, IN YOUR
MIND?
>> THAT WAS A FIX THAT WE HAD IN
AB 1 THAT THE GOVERNOR VETOED,
SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS A PRIORITY
TO GET THE EXPANDED FEDERAL
ACCESS GOING FORWARD.
THERE'S STILL PROBABLY SOME
QUESTIONS LEGALLY IF THE
GOVERNOR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO
THAT AFTER SOME OF THE RECENT
SUPREME COURT RULINGS.
BUT -- SO WE'RE CHECKING INTO
THAT.
BUT I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY
BENEFICIAL FOR THE STATE FOR
THAT FUNDING TO BE CONTINUED
GOING FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, APPARENTLY THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS WILLING TO
PROVIDE SOME PRETTY BROAD, BROAD
INTERPRETATION OF FEDERAL LAW TO
THE GOVERNOR IN THIS INSTANCE
AND HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY THE
U.S. TREASURY CAN PROVIDE SOME
OF THAT BROAD GUIDANCE TO US AS
WE SPEND FEDERAL MONEY TO MAKE
SURE WE KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN AND THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAY NOT KNOW
WHAT'S BEST FOR THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
>> WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON
REQUIRING PEOPLE TO GET A COVID
VACCINE?
>> I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD
BE REQUIRED TO GET A COVID
VACCINE.
IF A PRIVATE BUSINESS MAKES THAT
DETERMINATION, I GUESS THAT'S UP
TO THE PRIVATE BUSINESS.
BUT I DEFINITELY DON'T THINK
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE MANDATING
THAT INDIVIDUALS GET A COVID
VACCINATION.
>> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO
PEOPLE ABOUT GETTING A VACCINE?
>> YOU KNOW, WE'RE OVER A YEAR
INTO THE PANDEMIC.
PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT
THE PANDEMIC.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
INFORMATION LEARNED.
AND IT'S DEFINITELY UP TO THE
INDIVIDUAL.
HOPEFULLY A LOT OF PEOPLE DO GET
VACCINATED TO MAKE SURE WE GET
UP TO THAT HERD IMMUNITY.
SO I'D ENCOURAGE VACCINATION FOR
ALL PEOPLE, BUT I UNDERSTAND
SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT FEEL
COMFORTABLE.
BUT IT'S GREAT THAT WISCONSIN IS
-- SEEMS TO BE AHEAD OF THE
CURVE WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW,
WALGREENS AND THE HOSPITAL
ASSOCIATION AND CLINICS TO GET
THE VACCINES OUT.
SO THAT'S GREAT FOR THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE
CONTINUE TO GET VACCINATED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
SENATOR