% >> PROFESSOR CHERGOSKY, THANKS
% VERY MUCH.
% >> THANK YOU.
% >> ON APRIL 4th, WISCONSIN
% VOTERS WILL ELECT THE SUPREME
% COURT JUSTICE THAT WILL
% DETERMINE THE IDEOLOGICAL
% BALANCE OF THE COURT.
% ON THAT SAME DAY, VOTERS IN THE
% NORTHERN MILWAUKEE SUBURBS WILL
% ELECT A STATE SENATOR THAT COULD
% DETERMINE SOMETHING EQUALLY AS
% LARGE.%WHETHER REPUBLICANS IN
THE
% SENATE HOLD A TWO-THIRDS
% MAJORITY.
% SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, ZAC
% SCHULTZ, HAS THE STORY.
% >> HI.
% HOW ARE YOU?
% I'M JODI HABUSH SINYKIN.
% I'M RUNNING FOR WISCONSIN STATE
% SENATE.
% >> I'M DAN KNODL, STATE
% REPRESENTATIVE, RUNNING NOW FOR
% STATE SENATOR.% >> THE SPECI
AL ELECTION IN THE
% EIGHTH SENATE DISTRICT HAS THE
% POTENTIAL TO BE OVERLOOKED ON
% APRIL 4th.
% AFTER ALL, NO MATTER THE
% OUTCOME, REPUBLICANS WILL STILL
% CONTROL THE LEGISLATURE AND
% DEMOCRAT TONY EVERS WILL STILL
% BE GOVERNOR.
% IF DAN KNODL WINS, HE WILL
% BECOME THE 22nd REPUBLICAN IN
% THE SENATE, GIVING THEM A
% TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY.
% BUT REPUBLICANS WOULD STILL BE A
% COUPLE VOTES SHY OF TWO-THIRDS
% IN THE ASSEMBLY.
% SO THERE'S NO THREAT OF THEM
% BEING ABLE TO OVERRIDE A VETO
% FROM GOVERNOR TONY EVERS.
% >> WISCONSIN IS, IN FACT A
% TIPPING POINT.
% >> BUT DEMOCRAT JODI HABUSH
% SINYKIN IS TRYING TO CONVINCE
% VOTERS THE OUTCOME COULD IMPACT
% THE ENTIRE STATE.
% >> I HAVE SOME LITERATURE IF I
% COULD GIVE TO YOU AND JUST
% IMPRESS UPON YOU THE IMPORTANCE
% OF THE APRIL 4th SPECIAL
% ELECTION.%>> SURE.
% >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
% I APPRECIATE IT.
% >> THAT'S BECAUSE TWO-THIRDS
% MAJORITY IN THE SENATE WOULD
% GIVE REPUBLICANS IN THE
% LEGISLATURE THE POWER OF
% IMPEACHMENT, THE ABILITY TO
% REMOVE CIVIL OFFICERS OF THE
% STATE FROM OFFICE FOR REASONS OF
% CORRUPT CONDUCT.
% >> I WOULD HOPE VOTERS DO HAVE
% THAT IN THEIR MIND.
% I WILL PUT IT IN THEIR MIND
% BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT.
% >> DAN KNODL WOULD BE THE 22nd
% VOTE AND HE'S EAGER TO TEST OUT
% THE LEGAL LIMITS OF IMPEACHMENT,
% EVEN IF ANY ATTEMPT WOULD LIKELY
% BE CHALLENGED IN COURT.
% >> I THINK WE HAVE TO BE HONEST.
% THAT IS LIKELY I HAVE REQUESTS
% OUT RIGHT NOW FROM PEOPLE WHO
% ARE MORE CONSTITUTIONALLY
% SCHOLARLY THAN I AM TO TELL ME,
% WELL, GIVE ME AN OPINION ON WHAT
% THIS AUTHORITY MIGHT PROVIDE.
% >> BUT 2014 MEMORANDUM FROM THE
% LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MAKES CLEAR
% THE TERM "CIVIL OFFICERS" IS NOT
% DEFINED.%SO THE FIRST QUESTIO
N IS WHETHER
% THIS WOULD ONLY APPLY TO
% APPOINTING CABINET LEVEL
% OFFICIALS OR STATE BOARD MEMBERS
% OR WHETHER REPUBLICANS COULD TRY
% TO IMPEACH GOVERNOR EVERS OR
% JOSH KAUL OR A MEMBER OF THE
% WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT.
% >> THAT'S THE QUESTION, AND THAT
% WE MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWER
% UNLESS WE TEST THAT AND USE THAT
% AUTHORITY AND SEE HOW IT SHAKES
% OUT, BUT I WILL INITIALLY LOOK
% AT IT.
% THAT COULD INVOLVE ANY ELECTED
% OFFICIAL, PARTICULARLY ELECTED
% OFFICIALS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
% AS WELL.
% SO I WOULD THINK IT'S -- I VIEW
% IT INITIALLY AS ALL
% ENCOMPASSING.
% >> THOSE TYPE OF SHENANIGANS,
% THOSE GAMES OF IMPEACHMENT
% WHETHER THEY'RE TIED UP IN COURT
% OR NOT, IT'S NOT WHAT WE NEED IN
% WISCONSIN.
% >> A WIN BY JODI HABUSH SINYKIN
% WOULD TAKE IMPEACHMENT OFF THE
% TABLE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE'S
% CAMPAIGNING ON.
% >> AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF
% YOU WERE SUPPORTIVE AND IF
% THERE'S ISSUES YOU ARE
% INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT.
% >> WELL, WHAT ISSUES ARE YOU
% RUNNING ON?
% >> I'M VERY MUCH RUNNING ON
% WOMEN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE AND HAVE
% HEALTHCARE OPTIONS.
% >> LIKE DEMOCRATS ACROSS THE
% COUNTRY, SINCE THE FALL OF ROE
% VERSUS WADE, SHE'S CAMPAIGNING
% ON ABORTION.
% >> WHAT I AM CONTINUING TO HEAR
% THE GRAVEST CONCERN TO FOLKS IS
% WOMEN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE AND
% WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE OPTIONS IN
% GENERAL.%THAT'S REALLY THE NU
MBER ONE.
% >> AND TO ME BEING PRO-LIFE IS A
% POSITIVE THING.
% >> KNODL HAS BEEN IN THE
% ASSEMBLY OR 14 YEARS AND HAS
% REPRESENTED LARGE PORTIONS OF%
THE SENATE DISTRICT OVER THAT
% TIME.
% HE SAYS THAT REPRESENTATION
% EXTENDS BEYOND THOSE ALREADY
% LIVING HERE.
% >> SO I BELIEVE I NEED TO BE THE
% VOICE OF NOT ONLY THOSE THAT ARE
% ADULTS, BUT YOUNGER PEOPLE AND
% THE UNBORN.
% THEY DON'T HAVE A VOICE.
% >> REPUBLICANS IN THE ASSEMBLY
% RECENTLY INTRODUCED A BILL THAT
% WOULD PROVIDE RAPE AND INCEST
% EXCEPTIONS FOR ABORTION IN THE
% FIRST TRIMESTER AND CLARIFIES
% WHEN AN ABORTION CAN BE
% PERFORMED TO SAVE THE LIFE OF A
% MOTHER.
% >> I DON'T THINK PEOPLE GIVE
% ENOUGH CREDENCE TO CURRENT LAW
% WHICH PROTECTS THE LIFE OF THE
% MOTHER, WHICH IS A MAIN FACTOR.
% SO -- BUT I AM ALSO -- I DO
% SUPPORT RAPE AND INCEST
% EXCEPTIONS.% >> THE BILL WI
LL GO NOWHERE AS
% GOVERNOR EVERS PROMISED A VETO
% AND SENATE REPUBLICANS SAID THEY
% WON'T EVEN TAKE IT UP.
% JODI HABUSH SINYKIN SAYS EVEN
% SUPPORTING THE ASSEMBLY BILL
% PUTS KNODL OUT OF LINE WITH MOST
% VOTERS.
% >> WHAT THEY DON'T APPRECIATE IS
% THAT KNODL, WHO IS MY OPPONENT,
% IS EXTREME ON ABORTION.
% >> THE EIGHTH SENATE DISTRICT
% HAS BEEN A SAFE REPUBLICAN SEAT
% FOR DECADES.
% REPUBLICAN ALBERTA DARLING HELD
% THE SEAT FOR 30 YEARS BUT SHE
% RESIGNED LAST FALL, SETTING UP
% THE SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL OUT
% THE LAST TWO YEARS OF HER TERM.
% OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, THE
% SEAT HAS FOLLOWED THE PATH OF
% SUBURBS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
% SHIFTED MORE DEMOCRATIC.
% >> I HAVE TO ADMIT, CERTAINLY
% THERE'S A SHIFT THAT HAS BEEN
% GOING ON.
% JUST LOOK AT THE ELECTION
% CYCLES.
% >> KNODL SAYS SOME OF THAT SHIFT
% HAS BEEN PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF
% MILWAUKEE TO GET AWAY FROM
% CRIME.
% >> AND NOBODY CAN DENY THAT
% THERE'S CRIME, RISING CRIME
% PROBLEM IN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE
% AND THAT EXTENDS OUT INTO THE
% SUBURBS AND SO WE FEEL THAT.
% >> HA JODI HABUSH SINYKIN SAYS
% REPUBLICANS ARE TO BLAME FOR
% SHORT-CHANGING REVENUE,
% PREVENTING CITIES FROM HIRING
% ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS.
% >> THIS LEGISLATURE REALLY UNDER
% MY OPPONENT'S WATCH, THEY ARE
% PART OF THIS PROBLEM.
% THEY ARE NOT PROVIDING OUR LAW
% ENFORCEMENT WITH WHAT THEY NEED
% TO KEEP US SAFE.
% >> KNODL HAS A DIFFERENT
% SOLUTION TO BATTLING CRIME IN
% MILWAUKEE.
% HE WANTS TO SEE THE SENATE USE
% ITS NEW IMPEACHMENT POWERS TO
% TARGET JOHN CHISHOLM.
% >> I'VE HAD STATEMENTS BEFORE
% CALLING FOR HIS RESIGNATION.
% JUST DON'T FEEL THAT -- AND WHEN
% WE SEE THE REVOLVING DOOR,
% THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN MILWAUKEE
% AND WE SEE THE COURT CASES AND
% THE AFTERMATH OF PEOPLE GETTING
% OUT WITHOUT -- WITH LOW BAIL,
% SPECIFICALLY AND CAUSING EVEN
% MORE HARM.
% THAT'S A PROBLEM AND THAT GOES
% TO THE PROSECUTOR.
% >> IT'S A CLASSIC MOVE TO POINT
% TO AN INDIVIDUAL, A
% REPRESENTATIVE TRYING TO KEEP
% OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND BLAME
% THEM FOR THE VERY THINGS THAT
% THEIR POLICIES ARE CAUSING.
% >> REPORTING FROM GERMANTOWN,