THIS WEEK GOVERNOR EVERS SIGNED
AN EXECUTIVE ORDER DIRECTING
STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT INCLUDING
STATE PATROL, CAPITOL POLICE AND
DNR WARDENS TO REVIEW AND UPDATE
THEIR USE OF FORCE POLICIES AND
THE ORDER SPECIFIES THAT DEADLY
FORCE BE USED ONLY AS A LAST
RESORT.
IT ALSO CALLS FOR OFFICERS TO
EMPLOY DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES
AND THAT THEY SHOULD INTERVENE
TO STOP EXCESSIVE FORCE BY
ANOTHER OFFICER.
FOLLOWING THE CONVICTION OF
DEREK SHOW -- CHAUVIN THE
LIEUTENANT THE GOVERNOR SAYS WE
ALL DESERVE BETTER.
MANDELA BARNES JOINS US NOW.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME TODAY.
>> WHEN THE VERDICT CAME DOWN,
YOU SAID IT'S AN AMAZING THING,
THE IDEA OF JUSTICE CAN BE CAUSE
FOR CELEBRATION.
WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS THAT SOME
PEOPLE WILL CONSIDER THE
CONVICTION A ONE AND DONE AND
SAY, SEE, THE SYSTEM WORKS AND
JUST LEAVE IT THERE?
>> YEAH.
YEAH.
I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO LOOK
AT THIS AS AN OVERALL VICTORY.
THIS IS ACCOUNTABILITY IN ONE
INSTANCE.
JUSTICE WOULD BE GEORGE FLOYD
STILL LIVING AND BREATHING TODAY
AND I ALSO DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO
GET COM COMPLACENT AND THINK
THAT THE MOVEMENT HAS REACHED
ITS PEAK, THAT THIS IS THE
CULMINATION OF A YEAR LONG OF
ORGANIZING AND DEMONSTRATING.
IT'S NOT THAT.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE
ARE MORE INSTANCES OF ACCOUNT
ABILITY LIKE THIS SO THAT
WE CAN BE ON THE PATH TO TRUE
JUSTICE.
THERE ARE SO MANY COMMUNITIES,
SO MANY FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS
WHO DIDN'T EVEN GET TO SEE WHAT
HAPPENED OR DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE
THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE SAW
EARLIER THIS WEEK WITH DEREK CHA
UVIN, EVEN HERE IN WISCONSIN,
SO MANY MORE INSTANCE THAT'S WE
NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
TRULY ON THE PATH TO ACHIEVING
JUSTICE.
>> MEANWHILE, AS WE JUST
DETAILED, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER DIRECTING STATE
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON USE
OF FORCE.
HOW DO YOU REGARD THAT DIRECTIVE
DOES IT GO FAR ENOUGH?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT WE ARE
DOING WHAT WE CAN AT THE STATE
LEVEL.
AS I SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE, WE
NEED A COORDINATED APPROACH.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS
LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DOING THE RIGHT THING
TO MAKE SURE THAT POLICING IN
OUR COMMUNITIES IS HELD TO A
STANDARD, A CERTAIN STANDARD, A
MUCH HIGHER STANDARD THAT --
THAN WE SEE NOW.
AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE GOVERNOR
IS TAKING THE NECESSARY STEP, A
STEP THAT HE IS ABLE TO TAKE
RIGHT NOW.
AS WE SEE, THE LEGISLATURE HAS
DECIDED TO NOT ACT.
THE GOVERNOR INTRODUCED A --
RELEASED A PACKAGE OF
LEGISLATION LAST YEAR AND IT'S
STILL SITTING THERE.
THEY HAVE YET TO TAKE IT UP.
AND SO WITH A LEGISLATURE THAT
CHOOSES TO IGNORE THE REALITY OF
SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR STATE, SO
MANY AMERICANS, THE GOVERNOR IS
TAKING THAT STEP TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE DO EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN
DO WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES.
>> AND YET ARE THINGS DIFFERENT
TODAY?
COULD THERE BE NEW MOVE MEN ITEM
>> WELL, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THERE SHOULD BE NEW
MOMENTUM.
I THINK WE SHOULD TURN THE PAGE
TO A NEW ERA WHERE WE SHOULD NOT
HAVE TO SIT ON PINS AND NEEDLES
AFTER WATCHING A VIDEO OF A MAN
KILLED AND WONDERING WHICH WAY
THE VERDICT IS GOING TO GO.
THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST ASTOUND
ING PARTS OF ALL OF THIS,
IS WE STILL FELT -- I DON'T MEAN
JUST WE AS BLACK PEOPLE.
WE AS THE PEOPLE IN AMERICA
STILL SAT WITH BAITED BREATH AS
THE VERDICT WAS READ ALOUD NOT
KNOWING WHICH WAY IT WOULD GO
REGARDLESS WE SAW THIS VIDEO.
THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE
CELEBRATING JUSTICE, CELEBRATING
THE FACT THAT THERE WAS GUILTY
VERDICTS, THIS IS AN INDICTMENT
ON THE SYSTEM THAT HAS DENIED
JUSTICE TO COMMUNITIES FOR SO
LONG.
>> GIVEN THE BIPARTISAN MAKEUP
OF THE TASK MORSE ON RACIAL --
FORCE ON RACIAL DISPARITIES,
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS THAT
RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE SIGNED
INTO LAW?
>> I THINK THAT SPEAKS A LITTLE
BIT MORE TO, YOU KNOW, THE
LACKLUSTER, YOU KNOW, NATURE OF
THE TASK FORCE.
WE PRESENTED THE ASSEMBLY AND
THE SENATE.
WE PRESENTED THE LEGISLATURE
WITH A PACKAGE OF BILLS.
AND IF THEY THOUGHT THERE WERE
ISSUES, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
DEBATED ON THE ASSEMBLY FLOOR
AND ON THE SENATE FLOOR.
I THINK THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE
IS THIS RACIAL DISPARITY TASK
FORCE, THE FACT IS THERE ARE
MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT RACIAL
AND ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS IN
THE LEGISLATURE THIEWFER, A
LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS.
I BRING THIS POINT UP ALL THE
TIME BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THE
LEADERSHIP HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE
THOSE BLACK LAWMAKERS AND EVEN
WHITE LAWMAKERS WHO HAVE
INTRODUCED BILLS FOR POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY.
AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, THIS IS A
DELAY TACTIC SO THEY DON'T HAVE
TO DO MUCH.
BILLS DIDN'T COME OUT THF TASK
FORCE.
IF THEY WERE COMMITTED TO THE
WORK, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN
LEGISLATION THAT CAME AS A
RESULT OF THE WORK OF THIS TASK
FORCE.
>> WE'LL SEE WHERE THAT GOES.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR JOINING