% JAY ROTHMAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
% TIME TODAY.
% >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
% >> ANOTHER BIG TICKET ITEM TAKEN
% UP BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
% RECENTLY WAS THE BUDGET FOR THE
% STATE'S DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
% SIMILAR TO THE REST OF THE STATE
% BUDGETING PROCESS, COMMITTEE
% REPUBLICANS PASSED A FRACTION OF
% WHAT DEMOCRATS PROPOSED FOR AN
% INCREASE.
% DEPARTMENT'S OFFICE OF SCHOOL
% SAFETY CREATED IN 2018 DID NOT
% SEE A RENEWAL OF FUNDS
% EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATING IT.
% WE'RE JOINED NOW BY STATE
% ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSH KAUL FOR
% MORE.%THANKS FOR YOUR TIME T
ODAY.
% >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.%
>> SO WHAT WERE THE REASONS YOU
% WERE GIVEN FOR THESE CUTS?
% >> THERE WEREN'T ANY SPECIFIC
% REASONS.
% OUR OFFICE OF SCHOOL SAFETY HAS
% BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS STORY OVER
% THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
% THEY'VE DEVELOPED BOTH
% INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE
% PROGRAMS THAT SCHOOLS AROUND
% WISCONSIN HAVE RELIED ON TO HELP
% KEEP KIDS SAFE.
% WE'VE RELIED ON FEDERAL GRANT
% FUNDING TO LAUNCH THOSE
% PROGRAMS.%THAT'S ACTUALLY ON
E OF THE
% THINGS THAT WE AND D.P.I. WERE
% DIRECTED TO DO IN THE STATUTE
% CREATING THAT OFFICE, AND THE
% LEGISLATURE, UNFORTUNATELY, AT
% LEAST SO FAR, HAS DECIDED NOT TO
% CONTINU PROVIDING -- TO PROVIDE
% ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE NEED
% TO KEEP THE OPERATIONS OF THAT
% OFFICE GOING AND WHAT THAT WOULD
% MEAN FOR SCHOOLS IS THAT THEY
% WOULD LOSES SOME CRITICAL
% PROGRAMS, LIKE OUR 24/7
% CONFIDENTIAL TIP LINE THAT HAS
% HELPED KEEP SCHOOLS IN WISCONSIN
% SAFE.
% >> I KNOW SOME OF THE WORK THAT
% THE OFFICE DID WAS HOW TO DO
% PLANNING AND SCENARIOS FOR LAW
% ENFORCEMENT AND SCHOOLS,
% ESPECIALLY ACTIVE SHOOTER
% SCENARIOS, WHICH ARE HAPPENING
% MORE AND MORE.
% WHAT WILL SCHOOLS DO IN LIEU OF
% THAT?%DO YOU THINK 2450 THEY
'D HAVE
% RELATIONSHIPS AS A SUBSTITUTE?
% >> THERE'S BEEN SOME PROGRESS
% MADE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS,
% BUT THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN
% SUBSTITUTE FOR HAVING THIS
% OFFICE IN SPACE.
% AN EXARCHTION ONE OF THE
% PROGRAMS LAUNCHED BY OUR SCHOOL
% SAFETY IS THIS TIP LINE.
% ANYBODY CAN PROVIDE A TIP AT ANY
% TIME, GET A TRAINED ANALYST TO
% RESPOND TO THAT TIP AND THEN GET
% RESOURCES DEPLOYED.
% WE'VE NOW RECEIVED THOUSANDS OF
% CONTACTS THROUGH THAT LINE AND
% IT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE REPORTS
% ABOUT A STUDENT WHO HAD A GUN ON
% A BUS.
% WE GOT THAT INFORMATION TO
% LOCALS AND THEN THAT GUN WAS
% RECOVERED AND AN ARREST WAS
% MADE.
% IN ANOTHER CASE, THERE WAS A
% STUDENT OVERHEARD TALKING ABOUT
% MEETING UP WITH A STRANGER ON
% THE INTERNET.
% WE GOT RESOURCES TO THAT STUDENT
% WORKING WITH LOCAL PARTNERS.
% THAT STUDENT DIDN'T ULTIMATELY
% MEET UP WITH A STRANGER.
% AND IN ANOTHER CASE, THERE WAS
% DISCUSSION ABOUT A POTENTIAL
% PLANNED SCHOOL ATTACK WHERE
% THERE WAS A RESPONSE THAT
% HAPPENED AND THERE WAS A CHECK
% DONE TO MAKE SURE THE SCHOOL WAS
% SAFE.
% THAT KIND OF INFORMATION
% PREVENTS VIOLENCE FROM HAPPENING
% IN OUR SCHOOLS AND THERE'S
% NOTHING THAT'S IN PLACE THAT
% WOULD REPLACE THAT.
% >> DO YOU HAVE ANY ABILITY TO
% REALLOCATE STAFF WITHIN YOUR
% REMAINING DEPARTMENT TO TRY AND
% HELP FILL SOME OF THAT GAP?
% >> WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE WHAT
% OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE, BUT
% THE CLEAREST AND BEST WAY TO
% CONTINUE FUNDING THAT OFFICE IS
% TO HAVE A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT
% THROUGH STATE RESOURCES.
% IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE STATE
% ABSOLUTELY CAN AFFORD.
% WE HAVE A HISTORIC BUDGET
% SURPLUS AND THE AMOUNT THAT WE
% HAVE REQUESTED FOR THAT OFFICE
% IS ABOUT $2.2 MILLION OVER A
% TWO-YEAR PERIOD.
% OUR KIDS DESERVE THAT KIND OF
% INVESTMENT IN THEIR SAFETY.
% >> AND NOW ANOTHER AREA OF THE
% BUDGET THAT DIDN'T GET THE BUMP
% YOU WERE HOPING FOR WAS THE
% STATE CRIME LAB.
% WHAT WILL THAT MEAN FOR
% PROSECUTORS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL?
% >> IT WAS DISAPPOINTING TO SEE
% THERE WASN'T MORE OF AN
% INVESTMENT THERE.
% WE APPRECIATE WHAT THERE WAS,
% BUT FAR LESS THAN WE REQUESTED.
% ERIC TONEYEE, PRESIDENT OF THE
% D.A.'S ASSOCIATION JOINED ME TO
% ADVOCATE FOR RESOURCES FOR THE
% LABS, BUT AGAIN, AT A TIME WHEN
% WE HAVE HISTORIC BUDGET SURPLUS,
% THE LEGISLATURE PROVIDED JUST A
% FRACTION OF WHAT WE HAD ASKED
% FOR AND THE MORE ANALYSTS THAT
% WE HAVE, THE MORE EFFICIENTLY WE
% CAN PROCESS EVIDENCE, THE MORE
% EFFECTIVELY OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM
% WORKS.%IT'S DISAPPOINTING THE
RE WASN'T
% MORE INVESTMENT THERE.
% OUR FOCUS RIGHT NOW IN LIGHT OF
% WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS ON THE OFFICE
% OF SCHOOL SAFETY BECAUSE THAT
% OFFICE WILL BE DISMANTLED
% WITHOUT A RENEWED EFFORT TO
% INCLUDE FUNDING IN THE
% LEGISLATURE.%>> AND WHAT HAVE
YOU HEARD SINCE
% THEY DECLINED TO FUND IT IN THE
% FIRST PLACE?
% IS THERE ANY CHANCE THEY COME
% AROUND ON THE?
% IS THERE SOMETHING THE GOVERNOR
% CAN DO?
% >> WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING.
% I'VE BEGUN REACHING OUT TO
% LEGISLATORS.%I'M GOING TO KEE
P DOING THAT.
% I KNOW THAT THERE'S BIPARTISAN
% SUPPORT FOR THIS OFFICE, BUT
% WHERE THINGS END UP IS GOING TO
% DEPEND ON WHAT DECISIONS
% LEGISLATORS MAKE AND WE ARE
% REACHING OUT TO PARTNERS, WE'RE
% COMMUNICATING ABOUT THIS
% BECAUSE, AT THE END OF THE DAY,
% IF WE LOSE THIS OFFICE, THAT'S
% GOING TO IMPACT SCHOOLS ACROSS
% THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND LEAVE
% OUR KIDS LESS SAFE.
% I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO SEE
% THAT.
% I'M HOPEFUL THAT LEGISLATORS
% WILL AGREE THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT
% THEY WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN.
% >> IN PAST BUDGET CYCLES OR PAST
% POLITICAL CYCLES, YOU'VE HAD
% ISSUES WITH SOME OF THE BILLS
% COMING OUT OF THE LEGISLATURE
% THAT SEEMED POLITICALLY
% MANEUVERED.%DO YOU SENSE POL
ITICS HERE
% BECAUSE YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT
% RUNNING THIS OFFICE, OR IS IT
% FUNDING WHERE THEY DON'T SEE THE
% NEED FOR THIS OFFICE?
% >> THE STATEMENTS WE'VE HEARD
% WERE PRETTY GENERAL.
% THERE WAS A PARTY LINE VOTE IN
% THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE.
% IT'S REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED TO
% BLOCK THIS IF YOU COULD, BUT I
% AM FUNDING, BUT I AM HOPEFUL
% THERE WILL BE BIPARTISAN
% SUPPORT.% THE OFFICE WAS CRE
ATED IN 2018
% WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
% IT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY
% GOVERNOR WALKER.
% SCHOOL SAFETY, WE SHOULD ALL
% AGREE, IS A WORTHWHILE
% INVESTMENT FOR OUR KIDS, AND I
% HOPE WE SEE THAT.
% >> ARE YOU HOPING THAT LOCALS
% WILL ACTUALLY SPEAK UP, THAT
% SCHOOLS WILL SPEAK UP?
% IN 30 SECONDS OR LESS, WHAT CAN
% WE HOPE TO SEE OUTSIDE OF JUST
% YOU AND THE POLITICAL PROCESS?
% >> THAT'S WHAT WE'VE STARTED TO
% SEE SO FAR.
% WE'VE WORKED WITH PEOPLE WHO
% WERE PARTNERS OF OURS IN THE
% SCHOOL SAFETY OFFICE'S WORK.
% WE'VE HEARD FROM S.R.O.s
% ALREADY, FROM OTHERS IN LAW
% ENFORCEMENT, FROM SCHOOLS ABOUT
% THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROGRAM.
% I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE
% SEEING THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO
% KEEP REACHING OUT TO ENCOURAGE
% PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT WHY THIS
% PROGRAM IS SO VALUABLE.