%>> AS THE SPEAKER OF THE
%WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY PERRIES BACK
%AND FORTH WITH DONALD TRUMP OVER
%THE 2020 ELECTION, THE SECOND IN
%COMMAND IS TAKING HIS LEAD.
%"HERE AND NOW" SENIOR POLITICAL
%REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ SAT DOWN
%WITH ASSEMBLY MAJORITY LEADER
%JIM STEINEKE.
%>> MAJORITY LEADER STEINEKE,
%THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
%>> ABSOLUTELY.
%>> SO YOU WERE ONE OF THE
%HIGHEST RANKING REPUBLICANS IN
%WISCONSIN TO BE A NEVER TRUMPER
%OR ANTI-TRUMP IN THIS TIME.
%THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING
%THAT'S WHAT'S PUSHING YOU OUT OF
%OFFICE.
%WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH
%YOUR TIME AND DECISION TO LEAVE?
%>> IT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE MUCH
%IF ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY
%DECISION TO LEAVE THE
%LEGISLATURE.
%REALLY, IT IS JUST KIND OF A
%NATURAL PROGRESSION.
%YOU COME IN AND I'VE SPENT NOW
%10 YEARS IN LEADERSHIP, EIGHT
%YEARS AS MAJORITY LEADER.
%AND I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S TIME
%TO MOVE ON AND LET OTHER PEOPLE
%RISE TO THE TOP AND TAKE THEIR
%TURN AT THE HELM OF THINGS.
%>> DO OTHER ELECTED REPUBLICANS
%HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS TO YOU OF THE
%FORMER PRESIDENT OR ARE THEY
%JUST SCARED TO SPEAK THEIR MIND
%AS FREELY AS YOU DID?
%>> I'M SURE IT KIND OF RUNS THE
%GAMUT, RIGHT, JUST LIKE THE
%PUBLIC, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME
%REALLY HARD CORE TRUMP
%SUPPORTERS IN OUR CAUCUS AND
%THEN THERE'S THE OPPOSITE END
%WHERE I TEND TO BE, AND I THINK
%EVERYBODY IS SOMEWHERE IN THAT
%RANGE.
%EVERYBODY'S GOT TO MAKE THEIR
%OWN DECISIONS ON THAT, AND YOU
%KNOW, I WAS VOCAL IN THE
%BEGINNING AND TRIED TO SUPPORT
%THE PRESIDENT WHEN I THOUGHT HE
%WAS DOING GOOD THINGS, BUT ALSO
%BEING VOCAL WHEN I THOUGHT HE
%WASN'T.
%AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR
%EVERYBODY TO DO.
%YOU KNOW, JUST HAVE YOUR OWN
%PERSPECTIVE AND NOT ALWAYS JUST
%FOLLOW THE PARTY LINE, NO MATTER
%WHETHER WE THINK THINGS ARE
%GOING WELL OR NOT.
%>> WE'VE SEEN ASSEMBLY SPEAKER
%ROBIN VOS TRY TO PLACATE SOME OF
%THE TRUMP CROWD AND TRUMP
%HIMSELF, ESPECIALLY WITH MICHAEL
%GABLEMAN'S INVESTIGATION, IT'S
%RACKED UP A MILLION DOLLARS IN
%TAXPAYER FEES AND LOOKS TO BE
%MORE OF SOME SETTLEMENT ISSUES
%WITH THE COURTS RIGHT NOW WITH
%OPEN RECORDS LAWS.
%WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF THAT
%INVESTIGATION?
%>> THE GABLEMAN INVESTIGATION, I
%THINK THE GRADE IS INCOMPLETE AT
%THIS POINT BECAUSE THERE ARE THE
%LAWSUITS OUT THERE THAT WE'VE
%GOT TO SETTLE ON SUBPOENAS AND
%OTHER THINGS, SO WE'LL HAVE TO
%WAIT UNTIL THAT'S COMPLETELY
%WRAPPED UP BEFORE WE STAMP A
%FINAL GRADE ON IT.
%>> WHAT INSIGHT CAN YOU GIVE US
%AS TO HOW MUCH THE SPEAKER HAS
%HAD TO MOVE BETWEEN TO TRY AND
%PLACATE THOSE WHO WANT MORE AND
%THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT THE
%ELECTIONS WERE REAL AND VALID,
%BUT NOT TO THE LEVEL OF THE
%FRAUD THAT'S BEING ALLEGED?
%>> I THINK THAT'S A REALLY TOUGH
%POSITION TO BE IN, BECAUSE THERE
%ARE PEOPLE THAT TRULY BELIEVE
%THAT THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN.
%I THINK MOST PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
%THAT THAT'S NOT LIKELY TO BE THE
%CASE, BUT THERE WERE THINGS THAT
%HAPPENED IN THAT LAST ELECTION
%THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE.
%AND I THINK THIS EFFORT HAS
%ALWAYS BEEN ONE TO GET TO THE
%BOTTOM OF WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED,
%WHAT LAWS WEREN'T FOLLOWED TO
%THE TEE, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO
%CORRECT IT.
%AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE
%LEGISLATURE REALLY NEEDS TO DO,
%AND WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IN
%THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS
%PUT FORWARD BILLS TO CORRECT
%ISSUES THAT EVEN NON-PARTISAN
%LEGISLATIVE AUDIT BUREAU HAS
%FOUND IN THE LAST ELECTION.
%>> WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
%HEATED REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR
%GOVERNOR.
%AND THE CANDIDATES ARE -- SOME
%OF THEM ARE SEEMING TO TRY TO
%TREAD THE LINE OF PLACATING SOME
%OF THOSE TRUMP BELIEVERS THAT
%SAY THE LAST ELECTION WAS STOLEN
%AND THOSE THAT UNDERSTAND THAT'S
%PROBABLY NOT THE CASE.
%WHAT ARE YOU SEEING FROM YOUR
%PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF THEIR
%RHETORIC AND WHAT THAT MIGHT
%MEAN IF THEY COME INTO OFFICE
%AND HAVE TO STAND BEHIND THAT
%FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL
%ELECTION?
%>> YEAH, I THINK ANYBODY THAT'S
%FOCUSED ON 2020, THE 2020
%ELECTION, WHETHER IT'S IN THE
%PRIMARY OR IN THE GENERAL, IS
%PROBABLY DOING THEMSELVES A
%DISSERVICE BECAUSE I THINK A
%VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE
%MOVED ON FROM THAT ISSUE,
%ALTHOUGH THERE ARE, AS I SAID
%EARLIER, THERE ARE CONCERNS OVER
%HOW THE ELECTION WAS
%ADMINISTERED IN SOME WAYS.
%SO I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE
%APPROPRIATE TO LOOK AT.
%BUT IF WE'RE TALKING RIGGED OR
%STOLEN ELECTIONS, I DON'T THINK
%THAT'S GOING TO HELP ANYBODY
%RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
%>> BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
%LANGUAGE USED THAT HEDGED THE
%BETTS.
%EVEN YOU EARLIER JUST SAID
%"LIKELY WAS VALID."
%>> RIGHT.
%>> AS OPPOSED TO VALID, WHICH
%EVERY OTHER LEGITIMATE
%ORGANIZATION HAS SAID SO FAR.
%>> YEAH, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS
%VALID.
%I DO.
%I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE AT
%THIS POINT TO PROVE OTHERWISE.
%>> ONCE THEY'RE IN OFFICE,
%THOUGH, WOULD YOU HAVE CONCERNS
%ABOUT WHETHER A REPUBLICAN
%GOVERNOR WOULD SIGN THE
%ELECTORAL VOTES IN 2024 IF THERE
%ARE UPROARS FROM REPUBLICAN BASE
%VOTERS SAYING IT'S RIGGED?
%>> NO, I DON'T BELIEVE ANY
%SITTING REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR
%WOULD SUBVERT THE WILL OF THE
%PEOPLE.
%I JUST -- I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S
%THE CASE.
%WISCONSIN HAS ONE OF THE MOST
%SECURE SYSTEMS OF VOTING IN THE
%COUNTRY.
%THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER.
%EVEN WITH SOME OF THESE ISSUES,
%WITH DROPBOXES AND CLERKS
%FILLING OUT ABSENTEE BALLOT --
%PARTS OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS, THOSE
%ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE
%PROBLEMATIC, BUT I DON'T THINK
%THAT IT LEADS TO THE LEVEL OF,
%YOU KNOW, FRAUD THAT WOULD
%OVERTURN THE RESULTS OF AN
%ELECTION.
%>> YOU WON'T BE IN OFFICE NEXT
%YEAR, BUT WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO
%SEE THE LEGISLATURE DO WHEN IT
%COMES TO ABORTION?
%DOES THERE NEED TO BE A LAW
%UPDATING THE 1849 LAW?
%>> PERSONALLY I'VE ALWAYS BEEN
%IN THE PLACE WHERE -- I'M
%PRO-LIFE, I DO BELIEVE IN
%EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE AND INCEST.
%I'VE GOT A 12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
%AT HOME AND IF, GOD FORBID,
%SOMETHING LIKE THAT WERE TO
%HAPPEN TO HER, I CAN'T IMAGINE
%FORCING HER TO CONTINUE THAT
%PREGNANCY FOR NINE MONTHS.
%IT WOULD BE A DECISION THAT I
%THINK SHE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE,
%BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING
%SOMEBODY ENTERS INTO WILLINGLY.
%AND I THINK THAT'S THE
%DISTINCTION I MAKE.
%IF YOU MAKE THE CONSCIOUS CHOICE
%TO HAVE SEX WITH SOMEBODY AND
%YOU BECOME PREGNANT, WELL,
%THAT'S YOUR CHOICE.
%YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE WANTED THE
%PREGNANCY, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND
%THE RISKS.
%SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T HAVE THAT
%CHOICE AND IS FORCED THROUGH
%RAPE OR INCEST, THEY'RE NOT
%MAKING THAT CHOICE.
%>> WHAT ABOUT MORE CLARITY FOR
%THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER?
%WE'VE ALREADY SEEN SOME EXAMPLES
%IN WISCONSIN ABOUT DOCTORS NOT
%KNOWING AT WHAT POINT THEY CAN
%INTERVENE IN THE CASE OF A
%MISCARRIAGE OR OTHER ILLNESSES.
%>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S
%SOMETHING THAT THE LEGISLATURE
%IS GOING TO HAVE TO WRESTLE
%WITH.
%I'M NOT SAWYER EXACTLY!! SURE EXACTLY HOW THAT
%LANGUAGE WOULD BE DRAFTED TO
%MAKE SURE IT WASN'T SOMETHING
%THAT COULD BE USED IN JUST ABOUT
%ANY CASE.
%SO I'LL BE INTERESTED TO SEE
%WHAT THE LEGISLATURE DOES IN THE
%COMING SESSION.
%>> ALL RIGHT.
%REPRESENTATIVE STEINEKE, THANKS
%FOR YOUR TIME.