% >> TUESDAY MARKED THE START OF
% THE NEW TWO-YEAR LEGISLATIVE
% SESSION, AND KICKED OFF WITH THE
% INAUGURATION OF TONY EVERS AND
% THE OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL
% OFFICERS.
% [APPLAUSE]
% >> I'M TONY EVERS, AND YES I AM
% JAZZED AS HELL TO BE SWORN IN
% AGAIN AS THE 46TH GOVERNOR OF
% THE GREAT STATE OF WISCONSIN.
% [APPLAUSE]
% >> DEMOCRAT TONY EVERS TOOK THE
% OATH OF OFFICE, LOOKING TO SET A
% NEW TONE FOR HIS SECOND TERM AS
% GOVERNOR.
% HE FRAMED HIS WIN IN NOVEMBER AS
% A VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY, NOT
% JUST DEMOCRATS.
% >> WISCONSIN REJECTED A RHETORIC
% BORN OUT OF APATHY AND ANIMOSITY
% TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOR, AND
% WISCONSIN REJECTED A RETURN TO
% THE BITTER POLITICS OF
% RESENTMENT.
% >> HE USED HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS
% TO LAY OUT HOW VOTERS EXPECT A
% RETURN TO BIPARTISANSHIP AND
% COMPROMISE, WITH A DEMOCRATIC
% POINT OF VIEW.
% >> PEOPLE VOTED BECAUSE THEY
% BELIEVE, AS I DO, THAT WHEN WE
% DELIVER TAX RELIEF, IT SHOULD BE
% TARGETED TO THE MIDDLE CLASS TO
% GIVE WORKING FAMILIES A LITTLE
% BREATHING ROOM IN THEIR FAMILY
% BUDGET, NOT TO GIVE BIG BREAKS
% TO MILLIONAIRES AND
% BILLIONAIRES.
% >> AFTER THE CEREMONY IN THE
% ROTUNDA, MEMBERS OF THE
% LEGISLATURE WERE SWORN IN.
% WITH REPUBLICANS IN COMMANDING
% CONTROL OF BOTH CHAMBERS.
% >> SO HELP ME GOD.
% >> ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS%
ALSO SPOKE ABOUT COMPROMISE.
% >> SO IF YOU COME FROM THE FAR
% LEFT OR THE FAR RIGHT, PLEASE
% ALWAYS REMEMBER IN THIS
% INSTITUTION, THE MIDDLE 90% OF
% THE BODY IS WHERE THINGS GET
% DONE, NOT ON THE FRINGE.
% >> HE, TOO, SPOKE ABOUT TAX
% REFORM, FROM A REPUBLICAN POINT
% OF VIEW.
% >> WHEN I LOOK AT OUR TAX
% CLIMATE, I SEE THAT ALL AROUND
% US ARE FLAT TAXES.
% IN IOWA, MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS.
% >> GOVERNOR EVERS PREVIEWED THE
% NEXT TWO YEARS WHEN HE SAID THE
% INAUGURAL CALLED FOR A PARTY,
% BUT THE REAL WORK WAS YET TO%
COME.
% >> WISCONSIN, WE LOVE YOU.
% LET'S POLKA TONIGHT, AND GET TO
% WORK TOMORROW.
% >> IF TUESDAY NIGHT WAS ABOUT
% DANCING THE POLKA, IT HAS BEEN
% ABOUT TOURING THE STATE SINCE%
THEN.
% WE ARE JOINED NOW BY GOVERNOR
% TONY EVERS.
% THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
% >> HI, ZAC.
% >> GOVERNOR, YOU'VE CRISSCROSSED%
WISCONSIN THE LAST COUPLE OF%DA
YS.
% WHAT DO THOSE VISITS CONNECT TO
% THE WORK OF DEALING WITH THE
% LEGISLATURE?%>> WELL, YOU KNO
W, YESTERDAY,
% FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS IN TWO SCHOOL
% DISTRICTS, AND THE WORK THAT
% THEY'RE DOING ABSOLUTEL HAS A
% LOT TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW,
% FUNDING OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND
% OTHER LEGISLATIVE THINGS.
% SO WE LEARNED A LOT, EVEN -- YOU
% KNOW, THINGS THAT SEEMINGLY ARE
% SMALL BUT WE TALKED WITH A LOT
% OF STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR YOUTH
% APPRENTICESHIPS AND HOW THAT
% WORKS.
% EVERYTHING I DO, AND I'M GOING
% OUT AND ABOUT, THE STATE HAS
% SOMETHING TO DO WITH
% LEGISLATION.%>> WE SPOKE WITH
SPEAKER VOS
% LAST MONTH AND HE SAID THAT MORE
% MONEY IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO
% SOLVING SOME OF THE KNOWLEDGE
% GAPS THAT OCCURRED DURING COVID.
% DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?
% >> WELL, MONEY DOES PLAY A ROLE,
% CLEARLY.
% I MEAN, WE HAVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS
% GOING TO REFERENDA EVERY SINGLE
% ELECTION, AND TWO THINGS HAPPEN
% THERE.
% ONE IS THAT MOST OF THEM PASS,
% AND THAT RAISES PROPERTY TAXES
% SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A
% LEGISLATIVE ISSUE.
% AND SECOND OF ALL, THERE'S 20 TO
% 30% THAT DON'T PASS EVERY TIME,
% AND SO WHAT THAT DOES IS CREATES
% A SU SYSTEM OF HAVES AND HAVE-N.
% THAT IS A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE.
% SO YES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
% THAT WE LOOK AT EVERY OPTION TO
% HAVE KIDS LEARN IN A BETTER WAY,
% BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, ONE
% OF THOSE THINGS IS RESOURCES.
% >> NOW BOTH ON ELECTION NIGHT
% AND DURING YOUR INAUGURAL
% ADDRESS, YOU CONNECTED YOUR
% VICTORY WITH A VOTE TO SAVE
% DEMOCRACY.
% IS YOUR WIN ENOUGH TO DO THAT,
% OR DO WE NEED MORE LEGISLATION
% TO AVOID WHAT YOU CALLED, QUOTE,
% A TRAJECTORY BENT TOWARD
% PERMANENTLY UNDERMINING THE
% INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE
% FUNDAMENTAL TO WHO WE ARE AS A
% PEOPLE?%>> WELL, OUR ELECTIO
N AND THE
% WAY IT WAS RUN AND OBVIOUSLY
% EVERYTHING WENT FINE, YOU KNOW,
% WE HAVE A REPUBLICAN THAT'S HEAD
% OF THE WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
% COMMISSION, THEY CERTIFIED THE
% ELECTION.
% SO I THINK THINGS WENT WELL.
% NOW, DO I THINK THERE'S SOME
% THINGS THAT COULD BE BETTER?
% FRANKLY, I WOULD BE -- I'D LIKE
% TO HAVE AUTOMATIC VOTER
% REGISTRATION SO THAT PEOPLE ARE
% REGISTERED.
% THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVE TO
% VOTE.%AND I THINK IT WOULD B
E GOOD TO
% GIVE THOSE LOCAL CLERKS THE
% ABILITY TO PROCESS SOME OF THOSE
% EARLY VOTING THINGS BEFOREHAND
% SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO IT
% AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING.
% BUT THE SYSTEM IS STRONG, AND
% BASICALLY, YES, DO I THINK THAT
% THAT ELECTION AND THE WAY IT WAS
% RUN HELPED PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW
% IMPORTANT DEMOCRACY IS?
% AND FRANKLY, HOW IT'S ALWAYS
% BEEN STRONG.
% I MEAN, IN WISCONSIN, SO MUCH OF
% THE HARD WORK, 90% OR MORE,
% HAPPENS LOCALLY.
% AND HAPPENS BY REPUBLICANS,
% DEMOCRATS, INDEPENDENTS, YOU
% KNOW, THE CLERKS, THE LOCAL
% CLERKS.
% THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT DO ALL
% THE HARD WORK.
% IT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS IN
% MADISON.
% AND SO WE NEED TO REAFFIRM OUR
% SUPPORT FOR THAT AND CONTINUE TO
% MOVE FORWARD.
% >> NOW, YOU'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH
% ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS AND
% SENATE MAJORITY LEADER DEVIN
% LEMAHIEU LAST MONTH, THE FIRST
% TIME IN A LONG TIME FOR THOSE.
% DO YOU EXPECT THAT TO BE A
% REGULAR THING GOING FORWARD?
% >> YEAH, I DO.
% I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE
% EVERY WEDNESDAY AT NOON OR
% SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT YEAH,
% I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH
% MEETING WITH THEM.
% OBVIOUSLY DURING THE PANDEMIC,
% THAT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT.
% SO YES, I THOUGHT BOTH MEETINGS
% WENT WELL.
% AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO IT, AND
% THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT
% WE -- YOU KNOW, THAT I KNOW AND
% I THINK THEY KNOW TOO, THERE'S
% BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR.
% >> NOW IN YOUR FIRST TWO
% BUDGETS, THE NEGOTIATIONS
% APPEARED FROM THE OUTSIDE TO
% CONSIST OF REPUBLICANS TRYING TO
% FIGURE OUT HOW FAR THEY COULD GO
% BEFORE YOU WOULD VETO THE ENTIRE
% BILL.
% DO YOU EXPECT THIS PROCESS TO
% LOOK DIFFERENT?
% >> IT WILL BE DIFFERENT IN THAT
% THINGS LIKE SHARED REVENUE, HOW
% WE'RE GOING TO FUND OUR PUBLIC
% SCHOOLS, FIXING THE ROADS AND
% BROADBAND, THINGS LIKE THAT,
% ABSOLUTELY THERE IS COMMON
% GROUND TO BE HELD.
% AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL SEE.
% YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE IN POSITIONS
% WHERE WE FIGHT ABOUT DIFFERENT
% THINGS AND I ANTICIPATE WE WILL.
% WHETHER THOSE THINGS WILL BE
% ENOUGH FOR ME TO VETO A BILL --
% A BUDGET OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW AT
% THIS TIME.
% >> NOW, WE'RE FINALLY STARTING
% TO SEE SOME OF GOVERNOR WALKER'S
% APPOINTEES TO SOME OF THOSE
% STATE BOARDS STEP DOWN AFTER
% OVERSTAYING THEIR TERMS,
% SPECIFICALLY ON THE DNR BOARD.
% IN THE FUTURE, WOULD YOU EXPECT
% TO RUN NAMES PAST SENATE
% MAJORITY LEMAHIEU IN ORDER TO
% SEE IF HE LIKES THEM OFF THE BAT
% OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO
% ANNOUNCE THEM COLD?
% >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE
% ANNOUNCE PEOPLE THAT WE FEEL
% WILL BE OKAY WITH SENATOR
% LEMAHIEU, AND I APPRECIATE THE
% FACT THAT HE SAID EVERYONE THAT
% WE HAVE OUT THERE, THEY'RE GOING
% TO BE GIVEN AN UP AND DOWN VOTE.
% AND THEY'RE ALL GOOD PEOPLE.
% I MEAN, THERE'S NO REASON WHY
% NOT TO.
% AND THE FACT THAT -- THE FACT
% THAT PEOPLE WAITED, A HANDFUL
% WAITED UNTIL THE END OF THE
% CALENDAR YEAR TO GET OUT, I FIND
% THAT, YOU KNOW, REFRESHING THAT
% THEY'D COME TO THAT CONCLUSION,
% BUT THAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED A
% LONG TIME AGO.
% >> YOU RECENTLY ANNOUNCED YOUR
% NEW SELECTION FOR DNR SECRETARY,
% ADAM PAYNE, JUST SO HAPPENS HE'S
% THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FROM
% SENATOR LEMAHIEU'S HOME COUNTY
% OF SHEBOYGAN.
% WAS THAT A COINCIDENCE OR IS
% THAT SOMETHING YOU THINK WILL
% HELP SPEED THE CONFIRMATION?
% >> WELL, IT WAS A COINCIDENCE.
% I'D KNOWN ADAM FOR A LONG TIME,
% I'M FROM SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, I
% KNOW HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB
% THERE, I KNOW THAT HIS
% BACKGROUND IS ONE THAT, YOU
% KNOW, HIS FATHER WAS I THINK A
% PROFESSOR AT STEVENS POINT IN
% THE AREA OF -- YOU KNOW, NATURAL
% RESOURCES.
% SO IT WAS JUST A NATURAL.
% IF IT HELPS THAT HE'S FROM
% SHEBOYGAN COUNTY AND SO IS
% SENATOR LEMAHIEU, THAT'S GREAT.
% BUT THAT'S NOT WHY WE CHOSE HIM.
% >> SWITCHING TO THE TOPIC OF THE
% SUPREME COURT ELECTION THAT'S
% COMING UP, IT SEEMS LIKE ANY
% NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE OTHER
% MAJOR TOPIC OF ABORTION WILL BE
% TIED DIRECTLY TO TH THE OUTCOMEF
% THAT ELECTION, THERE DOESN'T
% SEEM TO BE ANY ROOM FOR
% COMPROMISE UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT'S
% GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE COURT
% ON THAT ISSUE.
% >> I WOULD SAY SO.
% I WOULD IMAGINE WE WILL BE ABLE
% TO COME TO SOME CONCLUSION TO
% GET US TO THE POINT WHERE WE
% WERE BEFORE ROE V. WADE
% LEGISLATIVELY, SO THAT'S WHY WE
% FILED A LAWSUIT.
% I THINK THE LAWSUIT IS GOING TO
% BE SUCCESSFUL, AND IT'S LIKELY
% TO END UP IN THE WISCONSIN
% SUPREME COURT.
% >> WOULD YOU BE COMFORTABLE IF
% VOTERS APPROACHED THAT SUPREME
% COURT ELECTION FROM THE POINT OF
% VIEW OF ABORTION RIGHTS?
% >> OF COURSE.
% YEAH.%IT IS A BIG DEAL IN TH
E STATE OF
% WISCONSIN.
% MOST PEOPLE IN THE STATE DO
% BELIEVE THAT WOMEN SHOULD HAVE
% THAT DECISION-MAKING LEFT UP TO
% THEM.
% AND SO YES, IF THAT'S THE WAY IT
% PLAYS OUT, THAT'S THE WAY IT
% PLAYS OUT.
% BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
% IT WAS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE
% CAMPAIGN, MY CAMPAIGN, AND I
% BELIEVE WOMEN SHOULD HAVE THOSE
% RIGHTS.%>> NOW, INCLUDING IN
THE TOPIC
% OF AWORG ABORTION, THE FDA RECEA
% ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD BE
% EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE
% SO-CALLED ABORTION PILL BUT
% THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE IN
% WISCONSIN, BOTH DUE TO THE 1849
% LAW AND MORE RECENT LEGISLATION.
% IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WILL HAVE
% TO GET SORTED OUT WAY DOWN THE
% ROAD AS TO WHETHER PEOPLE WILL
% BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT?
% >> I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WILL BE
% DEALT WITH BY THE LEGISLATURE,
% BUT WE'LL SEE.
% I MEAN, CERTAINLY IF THERE'S
% THINGS THAT LEGISLATIVELY CAN
% HAPPEN THAT ALLOW WOMEN TO
% UTILIZE THIS PHARMACEUTICAL, I
% THINK WE SHOULD, BUT I'M
% GUESSING THAT'S NOT GOING TO
% HAPPEN.
% SO THAT'S GOING TO BE DOWN THE
% ROAD.%>> ONE OTHER ISSUE THA
T
% REPUBLICANS HAVE BROUGHT UP IS
% THE USE OF TIK TOK ON STATE
% DEVICES.
% WE'VE SEEN OTHER STATES BAN
% THEM.
% IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE LEANING
% TOWARDS?%>> YEAH, I MADE A DE
CISION TO DO
% THAT.%IN FACT, I'LL BE ISSUI
NG AN
% EXECUTIVE ORDERLY NEXT WEEK TO
% BAN THAT.
% >> HOW COME, AND IS THE USE OF
% TIK TOK ON STATE DEVICES?
% >> NOT VERY.
% I MEAN, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE,
% IT'S RELATIVELY A SMALL NUMBER,
% I'D SAY PROBABLY LESS THAN 30
% ALL TOTAL, ALL STATE EMPLOYEES,
% SO IT'S NOT A MAJORITY BY ANY
% STRETCH.
% SO IT'S NOT PERVASIVE, BUT WE
% FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE
% THAT EVEN IN THE SMALL NUMBER OF
% PEOPLE THAT USE IT, THAT THEY
% SHOULDN'T BE USING IT.
% >> DOES THAT FALL UNDER THE
% LARGER PURVIEW OF JUST
% ELECTRONIC SECURITY?
% BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD OTHER
% EXPERTS SAY WELL, TIK TOK IS
% REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN A LOT
% OF OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA DEVICES
% YOU DOWNLOAD ON TO A PHONE.
% >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
% WE ARE IN CONSTANT CONVERSATIONS
% WITH FBI AND ALSO WISCONSIN
% EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND OTHERS
% THAT ARE REALLY INTO, YOU KNOW,
% THE NITTY GRITTY OF THAT, AND
% WE'LL FOLLOW THEIR ADVICE JUST
% LIKE WE DID WITH TIK TOK.
% >> ALL RIGHT.