1 00:00:07,374 --> 00:00:10,844 PBS Wisconsin Original production. 2 00:00:11,645 --> 00:00:15,115 >> Wisconsin responds with hope and caution that the 3 00:00:15,182 --> 00:00:19,453 war with Iran could have an end in sight, and a 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,090 projected deficit for Milwaukee County forecasts 5 00:00:23,156 --> 00:00:27,127 the choppy waters ahead for the economy. 6 00:00:27,194 --> 00:00:30,197 [MUSIC] Tonight on "Here& Now", 7 00:00:32,199 --> 00:00:34,902 Wisconsin senators weigh in on Trump's peace deal and 8 00:00:34,968 --> 00:00:38,739 local Iranians share their views. Analysis of the 9 00:00:38,805 --> 00:00:42,476 projected economic shortfall in Milwaukee. We 10 00:00:42,543 --> 00:00:44,978 hear from the candidates running in the Democratic 11 00:00:45,045 --> 00:00:48,916 primary for governor at their state convention. And 12 00:00:48,982 --> 00:00:52,352 land appropriated hundreds of years ago transitions 13 00:00:52,419 --> 00:00:55,155 back into the hands of the Ho-Chunk. 14 00:00:55,222 --> 00:00:58,125 It's "Here& Now" for June 19th. 15 00:00:59,159 --> 00:01:01,161 >> Funding for "Here& Now" is provided by the Focus 16 00:01:01,228 --> 00:01:04,298 Fund for journalism. [MUSIC] 17 00:01:04,364 --> 00:01:08,168 Wisconsin. >> The signed understanding 18 00:01:15,242 --> 00:01:18,445 between the U.S. and Iran has raised as many 19 00:01:18,512 --> 00:01:21,215 questions as it has provided answers. But since 20 00:01:21,281 --> 00:01:24,785 the war began more than 100 days ago, it's the closest 21 00:01:24,852 --> 00:01:28,555 to a mutual agreement the public has seen, with fine 22 00:01:28,622 --> 00:01:32,326 details of negotiations still unknown. Wisconsin 23 00:01:32,392 --> 00:01:35,729 Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin reacted with 24 00:01:35,796 --> 00:01:39,399 support and skepticism. >> As no matter how many 25 00:01:39,466 --> 00:01:42,636 votes we had to try and limit the president's power 26 00:01:42,703 --> 00:01:45,572 here, the American people have a say in this. And I 27 00:01:45,639 --> 00:01:48,375 would say the American people, by and large, 28 00:01:48,442 --> 00:01:50,677 overwhelmingly the majority did not want President 29 00:01:50,744 --> 00:01:54,147 Trump to introduce the type of ground troops to 30 00:01:54,214 --> 00:01:57,050 completely defeat the Revolutionary Guard and the 31 00:01:57,117 --> 00:02:01,555 brutal dictators of Iran. So here we are again. I 32 00:02:01,622 --> 00:02:04,358 don't know what's in the memorandum of understanding. 33 00:02:04,424 --> 00:02:07,761 We can always go back in. The minute they make a move 34 00:02:07,828 --> 00:02:10,831 toward the nuclear sites, we can bomb them again. We 35 00:02:10,898 --> 00:02:14,768 can try and work with them. >> He needs to show the 36 00:02:14,835 --> 00:02:17,871 American people what is in this agreement, what our 37 00:02:17,938 --> 00:02:22,176 plan is to reach a real long term peace deal and 38 00:02:23,343 --> 00:02:27,648 explain how any of us are better off now compared to 39 00:02:27,714 --> 00:02:32,553 three and a half months ago. Until a long term peace 40 00:02:32,619 --> 00:02:36,957 agreement is signed and sealed, and any nuclear 41 00:02:37,024 --> 00:02:40,227 agreement is delivered to Congress, I'm going to 42 00:02:40,294 --> 00:02:44,364 continue to do my job and force the Senate to vote to 43 00:02:44,431 --> 00:02:47,801 stop this war. >> At the start of the war 44 00:02:47,868 --> 00:02:51,138 in Iran, we checked in with two Iranians who have lived 45 00:02:51,205 --> 00:02:55,175 and worked in Wisconsin for years but maintain close 46 00:02:55,242 --> 00:02:58,312 ties with their country. The shock and awe of those 47 00:02:58,378 --> 00:03:01,448 early days was, of course, distressing and terrifying. 48 00:03:01,515 --> 00:03:03,984 This week we checked back in with them to see what 49 00:03:04,051 --> 00:03:06,854 they think of the end of hostilities. With a signed 50 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:10,390 agreement between the U.S. and Iran. They both said 51 00:03:10,457 --> 00:03:14,061 they don't trust the Iranian regime to uphold 52 00:03:14,127 --> 00:03:16,930 agreements, and it must now be up to the civilian 53 00:03:16,997 --> 00:03:19,900 population in Iran to take back their country, no 54 00:03:19,967 --> 00:03:24,137 matter the odds. Here are Ali Soltani and Zara Fakhri 55 00:03:24,204 --> 00:03:27,107 speaking about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 56 00:03:27,174 --> 00:03:30,344 and the regime. In the face of the agreement with the 57 00:03:30,410 --> 00:03:33,413 U.S. >> Iranians are in constant 58 00:03:33,881 --> 00:03:38,018 war while the IRGC is in power and the IRGC has 59 00:03:40,754 --> 00:03:44,024 repeatedly failed in any agreement with any country, 60 00:03:44,091 --> 00:03:48,629 with any group or community. So that's why for Iranians, 61 00:03:48,695 --> 00:03:53,267 there is no longer hope or believing in any agreements 62 00:03:53,333 --> 00:03:57,504 that is done by these people. We do not trust 63 00:03:57,571 --> 00:04:00,140 them. We do not believe in them. And we are not seeing 64 00:04:00,207 --> 00:04:03,410 any progress because for 47 years they have shown 65 00:04:03,477 --> 00:04:07,548 themselves. So we also do not believe that it's a 66 00:04:07,614 --> 00:04:10,217 real agreement. >> What we have to realize 67 00:04:10,284 --> 00:04:15,189 is that this cessation of hostilities, peace talks, 68 00:04:16,123 --> 00:04:20,360 whatever you want to call it, it's only possible with 69 00:04:20,427 --> 00:04:23,964 freedom for the Iranian people. The nature of this 70 00:04:24,031 --> 00:04:27,501 regime has not changed. Whether what they're doing 71 00:04:27,568 --> 00:04:32,573 is the result of basically military pressure. So they 72 00:04:34,174 --> 00:04:36,810 welcome war. They want war, they want crisis. They want 73 00:04:36,877 --> 00:04:40,447 these kind of things to suppress the internal 74 00:04:40,514 --> 00:04:43,750 aspirations of the Iranian people. So they're there 75 00:04:43,817 --> 00:04:48,856 because they're forced to. The real fight is actually 76 00:04:48,922 --> 00:04:51,558 between the Iranian people and this regime within the 77 00:04:51,625 --> 00:04:54,494 last four days, since Saturday until Tuesday, 78 00:04:54,561 --> 00:04:59,132 they have executed 61 people, 61 prisoners. That 79 00:04:59,766 --> 00:05:02,836 is one every three hours. So they're very scared of 80 00:05:02,903 --> 00:05:05,706 the people and their uprising and their 81 00:05:05,772 --> 00:05:08,942 organized resistance. >> It was a roller coaster 82 00:05:09,009 --> 00:05:13,814 for all of us because it's not acceptable to see your 83 00:05:16,283 --> 00:05:19,319 country being bombed or being under UN strikes. But 84 00:05:19,386 --> 00:05:22,589 at the same time, the wildest thing that I've 85 00:05:22,656 --> 00:05:27,561 heard from many Iranians is that we are even okay with 86 00:05:28,395 --> 00:05:32,766 that. If the day after bombing or strikes, we see 87 00:05:32,833 --> 00:05:37,738 free Iran and there is no IRGC and they toppled. So 88 00:05:37,804 --> 00:05:40,874 that was the only thing that we were looking for. 89 00:05:40,941 --> 00:05:43,443 Although we were all full of fear, we were all 90 00:05:43,510 --> 00:05:46,713 worried about our family members, our relatives. 91 00:05:46,780 --> 00:05:52,119 >> You cannot overthrow a regime with bombing, okay? 92 00:05:52,186 --> 00:05:57,624 From air, it's impossible, especially a regime that's 93 00:05:57,691 --> 00:06:02,462 ideologically driven. You need the people inside Iran, 94 00:06:02,529 --> 00:06:06,233 the organized opposition that we have, they know 95 00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:10,003 every way there is. They know the people inside Iran. 96 00:06:10,070 --> 00:06:12,739 They know who is responsible. 97 00:06:12,806 --> 00:06:15,108 >> Right now. I think after all of the things and 98 00:06:15,175 --> 00:06:17,110 complications that has happened, they got even 99 00:06:17,177 --> 00:06:22,382 more confident because they faced the war with Israel 100 00:06:22,449 --> 00:06:25,886 and United States. I cannot call any other country who 101 00:06:25,953 --> 00:06:30,290 is more powerful in military services or powers 102 00:06:30,357 --> 00:06:33,861 in this kind of matter. But now they say that we won't 103 00:06:33,927 --> 00:06:38,732 over Israel, we won't over United States. So I think 104 00:06:39,366 --> 00:06:44,037 the worst thing that I could see after the war was 105 00:06:44,104 --> 00:06:46,840 seeing them getting more confident. That's the worst 106 00:06:46,907 --> 00:06:51,378 thing that I could see. >> You know, the last four 107 00:06:52,379 --> 00:06:56,884 uprisings in Iran, one in I think was 2019 was for the 108 00:06:56,950 --> 00:06:59,887 gas prices that went up in 2018. I think it was price 109 00:06:59,953 --> 00:07:03,957 of chicken that went up in 2026. The last one that we 110 00:07:04,024 --> 00:07:07,928 saw it was in started from Bazaar because of the price 111 00:07:07,995 --> 00:07:11,865 of the dollar just increased a lot. So this 112 00:07:11,932 --> 00:07:14,868 regime is incapable of solving the Iranian 113 00:07:14,935 --> 00:07:18,805 people's problems. So as long as the structure is 114 00:07:18,872 --> 00:07:22,609 corrupt and you cannot address the basic needs of 115 00:07:22,676 --> 00:07:27,481 the Iranian people, the these uprisings will happen. 116 00:07:27,548 --> 00:07:30,484 It's a matter of time. >> We are full of hope. 117 00:07:30,551 --> 00:07:34,655 >> It has been for 47 years. I mean, not the generation 118 00:07:34,721 --> 00:07:37,925 at the time that they were protesting or they were 119 00:07:37,991 --> 00:07:41,728 fighting against IRGC the second generation of that. 120 00:07:41,795 --> 00:07:44,498 And I know the third generation are right now 121 00:07:44,565 --> 00:07:48,135 joining us everywhere, even in social media, TikTok and 122 00:07:48,202 --> 00:07:52,039 Instagram. So I don't see that anyone has lost their 123 00:07:52,105 --> 00:07:55,175 hope. We we are full of hope because we we read the 124 00:07:55,242 --> 00:07:57,878 history. There is no dictatorship that they can 125 00:07:57,945 --> 00:08:01,048 last long. >> The people of Iran need 126 00:08:01,114 --> 00:08:05,219 to rise up themselves and. And they do have organized 127 00:08:05,285 --> 00:08:08,589 resistance. They need to basically get the 128 00:08:08,655 --> 00:08:12,125 international community's recognition. That's what we 129 00:08:12,192 --> 00:08:14,995 need. We don't need any help money. We don't need 130 00:08:15,062 --> 00:08:18,265 any soldiers or boots on the ground from foreign 131 00:08:18,332 --> 00:08:21,602 powers. We need their recognition and their help 132 00:08:21,668 --> 00:08:25,239 to basically help the Iranian people. 133 00:08:25,873 --> 00:08:29,109 >> The first priority for all Iranians right now is 134 00:08:29,176 --> 00:08:32,679 to be the voice of Iranian people inside Iran, and 135 00:08:32,746 --> 00:08:36,250 also showing the whole world that what is real 136 00:08:36,316 --> 00:08:39,553 Iranians and how we are separating ourselves from 137 00:08:39,620 --> 00:08:42,523 IRGC. >> The economic engine of 138 00:08:43,156 --> 00:08:45,993 the state is looking at a whopping county government 139 00:08:46,059 --> 00:08:50,631 budget shortfall. Milwaukee County leaders project a 140 00:08:50,697 --> 00:08:54,701 $50 million deficit next year, and a nearly $170 141 00:08:54,768 --> 00:08:58,071 million shortfall in five years. That's if measures 142 00:08:58,138 --> 00:09:01,942 to cut costs aren't taken. What is happening? We turn 143 00:09:02,009 --> 00:09:04,778 to Jason Stein, president of the Wisconsin Policy 144 00:09:04,845 --> 00:09:06,747 Forum, and thanks for being here. 145 00:09:06,813 --> 00:09:09,082 >> My pleasure. Thank you. >> So what is happening? I 146 00:09:09,149 --> 00:09:11,585 thought that the shared rev deal and new county sales 147 00:09:11,652 --> 00:09:13,620 tax was supposed to make things okay. 148 00:09:13,687 --> 00:09:15,789 >> Right. So you're referring to a 2023 law 149 00:09:15,856 --> 00:09:19,359 that provided both new sales tax authority to the 150 00:09:19,426 --> 00:09:22,462 county, as well as additional state aid. And 151 00:09:22,529 --> 00:09:25,465 those were helpful. I mean, the sales tax revenue is 152 00:09:25,532 --> 00:09:28,869 going to be nearly $90 million projected for 2027. 153 00:09:28,936 --> 00:09:32,239 So without that money, that that $50 million shortfall 154 00:09:32,306 --> 00:09:35,676 is even larger. But at the same time, that deal also 155 00:09:35,742 --> 00:09:39,046 imposed new costs on the county to, you know, shift 156 00:09:39,112 --> 00:09:42,516 to the state pension system, which is a good long term 157 00:09:42,583 --> 00:09:46,453 fix but is challenging in the short term. And then 158 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,157 additional law enforcement costs and other costs. So 159 00:09:50,224 --> 00:09:53,460 it was very helpful, but it didn't change the fact that 160 00:09:53,527 --> 00:09:57,698 the county has a structural imbalance between how fast 161 00:09:57,764 --> 00:10:00,634 its revenues are growing and how fast its expenses 162 00:10:00,701 --> 00:10:03,370 are growing. And you see that showing up in this 163 00:10:03,437 --> 00:10:06,640 this budget shortfall. >> So I understand that 75% 164 00:10:06,707 --> 00:10:09,643 of the county's budget is mandated state services, 165 00:10:09,710 --> 00:10:13,046 some of which you just spoke to, including court 166 00:10:13,113 --> 00:10:16,617 operation and highway patrols. So what goes the 167 00:10:16,683 --> 00:10:20,687 quality of life? Things like parks and pools. 168 00:10:20,754 --> 00:10:24,458 >> Absolutely. And, you know, there are a number of 169 00:10:24,525 --> 00:10:27,928 also discretionary challenges that the county 170 00:10:27,995 --> 00:10:30,664 has. The county also has its transit program, which 171 00:10:30,731 --> 00:10:35,068 is facing a big challenge in 2027 because it's 172 00:10:35,135 --> 00:10:38,138 finally exhausted. The federal pandemic aid, which 173 00:10:38,205 --> 00:10:40,541 stuck around a little bit longer for transit 174 00:10:40,607 --> 00:10:43,777 operations than other parts of government. So that's a 175 00:10:43,844 --> 00:10:47,247 challenge. It has a county courthouse that it needs to 176 00:10:47,314 --> 00:10:51,351 replace. That's nearly a half $1 billion project. 177 00:10:51,418 --> 00:10:54,354 And then you talk about its parks, something like that 178 00:10:54,421 --> 00:10:56,723 amount in deferred maintenance to its parks 179 00:10:56,790 --> 00:10:59,193 system. So it has a lot of generational challenges 180 00:10:59,259 --> 00:11:02,796 that are still pressing it pretty strongly. 181 00:11:02,863 --> 00:11:06,800 >> So how does the county stave off these deficits? 182 00:11:06,867 --> 00:11:09,436 >> I mean, I think when you have a challenge of this 183 00:11:09,503 --> 00:11:12,406 size, you're going to have to look on the cost side 184 00:11:12,472 --> 00:11:14,575 and the revenue side. So, I mean, the challenge on the 185 00:11:14,641 --> 00:11:17,377 cost side is that the county has really had 20 186 00:11:17,444 --> 00:11:20,848 years now of making, you know, cuts and trims and 187 00:11:20,914 --> 00:11:23,817 other things. But, you know, they're going to have to 188 00:11:23,884 --> 00:11:25,919 look in transit. They're going to have to look 189 00:11:25,986 --> 00:11:28,388 across their, their system to try and find some 190 00:11:28,455 --> 00:11:30,257 savings. And then at the same time, they're probably 191 00:11:30,324 --> 00:11:33,560 going to have to find revenues, whether that's 192 00:11:33,627 --> 00:11:36,663 it's from increasing their vehicle registration fee, 193 00:11:36,730 --> 00:11:38,498 whatever it happens to be that they can do because 194 00:11:38,565 --> 00:11:41,001 there aren't a lot of levers they can pull. 195 00:11:41,068 --> 00:11:43,504 >> Should or could the state do more? 196 00:11:43,570 --> 00:11:46,139 >> I mean, the state in the current budget, it should 197 00:11:46,206 --> 00:11:50,210 be said, did a lot for the county in that the state 198 00:11:50,277 --> 00:11:53,847 put forward funds for patrolling the highways in 199 00:11:53,914 --> 00:11:57,518 Milwaukee County. So that was a big financial help. 200 00:11:57,584 --> 00:12:02,055 Governor Evers, with one of his partial vetoes, also 201 00:12:02,122 --> 00:12:06,126 lowered the cost of. To counties of housing 202 00:12:06,860 --> 00:12:10,364 juvenile offenders in a state prison for youth, 203 00:12:10,430 --> 00:12:12,566 which. That helped Milwaukee County more than 204 00:12:12,633 --> 00:12:15,335 any other county. So there was assistance there. But 205 00:12:15,402 --> 00:12:17,971 you'll you'll you'll certainly hear elected 206 00:12:18,038 --> 00:12:20,374 officials from the county going to the state again 207 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,577 over the next year. >> How vexing is this 208 00:12:23,644 --> 00:12:26,079 perennial problem, especially for the county 209 00:12:26,146 --> 00:12:28,782 executive now running for governor? 210 00:12:28,849 --> 00:12:31,985 >> I mean, it's every county executive faces this. 211 00:12:32,052 --> 00:12:34,555 I mean, another county executive who became 212 00:12:34,621 --> 00:12:37,858 governor, Scott Walker, you know, faced the same 213 00:12:37,925 --> 00:12:41,128 shortfalls in some of these capital challenges have 214 00:12:41,195 --> 00:12:43,931 built up over a period of time. That goes back to the 215 00:12:43,997 --> 00:12:46,366 2000, when Walker was Milwaukee County executive. 216 00:12:46,433 --> 00:12:48,735 So it's certainly a challenge. I think one of 217 00:12:48,802 --> 00:12:52,206 the things that I'm sure the county executive will 218 00:12:52,272 --> 00:12:55,008 will ask for, you know, elected officials to ask 219 00:12:55,075 --> 00:12:59,012 for is freedom from the state limits on county 220 00:12:59,079 --> 00:13:04,084 property taxes. So more flexibility to raise local 221 00:13:04,151 --> 00:13:06,086 revenues to deal with these problems. But of course, 222 00:13:06,153 --> 00:13:08,388 the state has been reluctant to give that 223 00:13:08,455 --> 00:13:10,224 flexibility. >> So I trust that 224 00:13:10,290 --> 00:13:12,426 Milwaukee County is not the only county that is facing 225 00:13:12,492 --> 00:13:14,528 these kinds of budget crunches. 226 00:13:14,595 --> 00:13:17,164 >> No, that's certainly the case. I think it is worth 227 00:13:17,231 --> 00:13:19,233 noting, though, that Milwaukee County, 228 00:13:19,299 --> 00:13:21,568 particularly in the city of Milwaukee, has some of the 229 00:13:21,635 --> 00:13:25,572 poorest residents. So any county or any city that has 230 00:13:25,639 --> 00:13:28,909 a transit system, for example, is facing that 231 00:13:28,976 --> 00:13:32,546 same problem with the loss of federal revenue, 232 00:13:32,613 --> 00:13:35,382 ridership and ridership revenue being down and the 233 00:13:35,449 --> 00:13:38,852 cost being up. But in Milwaukee County, it has a 234 00:13:38,919 --> 00:13:41,188 particular pinch and resonance because you 235 00:13:41,255 --> 00:13:44,091 really have people that are relying on that transit 236 00:13:44,157 --> 00:13:46,894 system, low income people to get to a job, to get to 237 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,229 a doctor's appointment, to get to the grocery store. 238 00:13:49,296 --> 00:13:53,000 And so the impact is magnified, I think, over 239 00:13:53,066 --> 00:13:55,903 many places in Wisconsin. >> All right. Jason Stein, 240 00:13:55,969 --> 00:13:59,506 thank you very much. >> My pleasure. Thank you. 241 00:13:59,573 --> 00:14:02,342 >> Campaigns for governor ahead of the August primary. 242 00:14:02,409 --> 00:14:06,046 Head into high gear with some Democrats in the field 243 00:14:06,113 --> 00:14:09,449 getting a boost after the party's state convention. A 244 00:14:09,516 --> 00:14:12,319 straw poll of party activists put Lieutenant 245 00:14:12,386 --> 00:14:15,656 Governor Sarah Rodriguez on top with state 246 00:14:15,722 --> 00:14:18,959 Representative Francesca Hong in second and state 247 00:14:19,026 --> 00:14:22,196 Senator Kelda Roys coming in third. Here's a glimpse 248 00:14:22,262 --> 00:14:25,899 of candidates speeches at the convention. 249 00:14:25,966 --> 00:14:28,969 >> Does the job I'm asking you for starts with showing 250 00:14:29,036 --> 00:14:32,172 up and then standing up. Here's what I hear out 251 00:14:32,239 --> 00:14:36,844 there. Our neighbors are scared. They are angry 252 00:14:36,910 --> 00:14:39,613 because even if they are doing everything right, 253 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:44,785 they cannot make ends meet. They work hard and want a 254 00:14:44,852 --> 00:14:47,654 paycheck that covers the rent or mortgage before 255 00:14:47,721 --> 00:14:50,357 it's gone. They need a health insurance premium 256 00:14:50,424 --> 00:14:53,427 that they can afford. So when they get sick, they 257 00:14:53,493 --> 00:14:57,364 have the care that they need. They need public 258 00:14:57,431 --> 00:14:59,833 schools that are fully funded for their kids so 259 00:14:59,900 --> 00:15:02,870 they don't have to go to referendum. 260 00:15:02,936 --> 00:15:06,273 >> We've seen this before in Wisconsin. Scott Walker 261 00:15:06,340 --> 00:15:10,711 ran this con for eight years. Divide and conquer 262 00:15:10,777 --> 00:15:13,881 got the public sector hollow out schools, attack 263 00:15:13,947 --> 00:15:17,284 workers and treat government like the enemy. 264 00:15:17,351 --> 00:15:21,121 When Tony Evers asked me to serve as his top cabinet 265 00:15:21,188 --> 00:15:25,859 official, we inherited a mess. Depleted reserves, 266 00:15:25,926 --> 00:15:28,395 structural deficits, teachers, state employees, 267 00:15:28,462 --> 00:15:30,964 and working people who had been treated like a 268 00:15:31,031 --> 00:15:35,035 punching bag for eight years. So we rolled up our 269 00:15:35,102 --> 00:15:38,472 sleeves and we got to work. We constructed responsible 270 00:15:38,539 --> 00:15:41,842 budgets that returned us to Wisconsin values. 271 00:15:41,909 --> 00:15:44,378 >> I do want to be honest, because as I travel, people 272 00:15:44,444 --> 00:15:47,881 always ask me, David, can a Black candidate become 273 00:15:47,948 --> 00:15:52,286 governor? Hell yeah. If it's a candidate with a 274 00:15:54,855 --> 00:15:57,191 track record of delivering results and winning and not 275 00:15:57,257 --> 00:16:00,360 just talking about them? Yes. If it's a candidate 276 00:16:00,427 --> 00:16:02,896 that has a plan that's built on proven public 277 00:16:02,963 --> 00:16:05,465 policy, not whatever the latest poll says, it's 278 00:16:05,532 --> 00:16:09,303 popular, then yes, the answer is simple, y'all. 279 00:16:09,369 --> 00:16:13,173 Yes. And I am that candidate. I've built a 280 00:16:13,841 --> 00:16:16,043 strong coalition in the state's largest county 281 00:16:16,109 --> 00:16:18,979 while earning support from our rural, suburban urban 282 00:16:19,046 --> 00:16:21,381 communities alike. >> I am running for 283 00:16:21,448 --> 00:16:25,285 governor to raise wages, lower costs, deliver great 284 00:16:25,352 --> 00:16:28,856 public schools, and protect our freedoms from this 285 00:16:28,922 --> 00:16:33,727 authoritarian regime. We will lower the cost of the 286 00:16:35,229 --> 00:16:37,865 biggest ticket items, from housing to health care, 287 00:16:37,931 --> 00:16:41,034 child care to utilities. I don't just have bullet 288 00:16:41,101 --> 00:16:44,071 points, I have bills. I don't just have social 289 00:16:44,137 --> 00:16:47,374 posts, I have plans. And we know this is possible 290 00:16:47,441 --> 00:16:49,910 because we've done it before, right? As the 291 00:16:49,977 --> 00:16:53,347 executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, I 292 00:16:53,413 --> 00:16:56,483 helped pass the first pro-choice law in 30 years 293 00:16:56,550 --> 00:17:00,254 through an anti-choice Republican Assembly. 294 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,223 >> We have been failed by the status quo for far too 295 00:17:03,290 --> 00:17:05,526 long. And it's not just enough to be anti-Trump. 296 00:17:05,592 --> 00:17:08,061 It's not enough to just be a Democrat. If you're going 297 00:17:08,128 --> 00:17:10,264 to cave to corporate interests, we need a 298 00:17:10,330 --> 00:17:12,232 governor who rejects the Washington way of rampant 299 00:17:12,299 --> 00:17:15,302 corruption and corporate running for governor to do 300 00:17:15,369 --> 00:17:17,337 things the Wisconsin way. That means taxing the rich. 301 00:17:17,404 --> 00:17:19,439 That means freezing the rates. That means keeping 302 00:17:19,506 --> 00:17:22,242 our community safe. And in the AI schemes that rig the 303 00:17:22,309 --> 00:17:24,845 system, fully funding our public schools, passing 304 00:17:24,912 --> 00:17:26,914 universal child care, and delivering health care to 305 00:17:26,980 --> 00:17:29,049 every single person in this state, and standing up to 306 00:17:29,116 --> 00:17:31,618 those monopolies that continue to bankrupt our 307 00:17:31,685 --> 00:17:34,254 family farms and raise our utility bills. I am asking 308 00:17:34,321 --> 00:17:36,557 for your support in August, and I'm asking you to 309 00:17:36,623 --> 00:17:38,926 organize with me all the way through November to 310 00:17:38,992 --> 00:17:41,962 take back with me. >> I am running on a 311 00:17:42,029 --> 00:17:46,033 platform of permanent affordability, not as a 312 00:17:46,099 --> 00:17:50,671 slogan. Not as a slogan, but as a practice. I am the 313 00:17:55,709 --> 00:17:58,445 only candidate in this race who has called for a 314 00:17:58,512 --> 00:18:00,981 moratorium on the construction of AI data 315 00:18:01,048 --> 00:18:05,519 centers. I will not meekly accept the sellout of 316 00:18:07,621 --> 00:18:09,756 Wisconsin to millionaires, billionaires and big tech. 317 00:18:09,823 --> 00:18:13,327 I am the only candidate in this race with a plan for 318 00:18:13,393 --> 00:18:17,297 free childcare. I am the only candidate in this race 319 00:18:17,364 --> 00:18:20,801 who has even considered what AI will do, what it 320 00:18:20,868 --> 00:18:23,470 means for our workers and our civil rights. 321 00:18:23,537 --> 00:18:26,273 >> The first thing I had to do as Secretary of Economic 322 00:18:26,340 --> 00:18:31,044 Development was clean up Foxconn. No problem. I had 323 00:18:31,111 --> 00:18:33,714 three children under the age of two. I know how to 324 00:18:33,780 --> 00:18:38,452 clean up a mess. So I cleaned up Donald Trump and 325 00:18:38,519 --> 00:18:42,155 Scott Walker's mess and saved the state and 326 00:18:42,222 --> 00:18:47,461 Wisconsinites billions of dollars. And then Covid hit. 327 00:18:49,329 --> 00:18:51,732 Covid hit. And let me tell you, that's not a great 328 00:18:51,798 --> 00:18:55,202 time to be in charge of the state's economy. But we 329 00:18:55,269 --> 00:18:58,839 rolled up our sleeves and we got to work. 330 00:18:58,906 --> 00:19:01,408 >> On the Republican side, current seventh 331 00:19:01,475 --> 00:19:04,077 congressional U.S. representative Tom Tiffany 332 00:19:04,144 --> 00:19:06,813 got his party's endorsement in his run for governor at 333 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,983 their convention. >> We're going to take a 334 00:19:10,050 --> 00:19:14,621 shovel to waste and fraud. We're going to root out 335 00:19:17,491 --> 00:19:21,528 corruption. And we're going to bring common sense back 336 00:19:21,595 --> 00:19:26,166 to Madison. Because I refuse to accept failure. I 337 00:19:31,405 --> 00:19:34,975 refuse to accept decline, and I refuse to see the 338 00:19:35,042 --> 00:19:38,045 state of Wisconsin fall behind. 339 00:19:40,781 --> 00:19:43,917 >> Republican Andy Manske is also running. In other 340 00:19:43,984 --> 00:19:47,955 news, the Ho-Chunk nation will receive 165 acres of 341 00:19:48,021 --> 00:19:51,825 their ancestral homelands in a land transfer. The 342 00:19:51,892 --> 00:19:54,761 effort was funded by the Dane County Conservation 343 00:19:54,828 --> 00:19:58,732 Fund in collaboration with the county's Land and Water 344 00:19:58,799 --> 00:20:01,168 Department. Here and now, reporter Erika Ayisi went 345 00:20:01,235 --> 00:20:04,872 to the site to hear how the Ho-Chunk will use the 346 00:20:04,938 --> 00:20:08,842 property. This report is in collaboration with Icty, 347 00:20:08,909 --> 00:20:12,045 formerly Indian Country, today. 348 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:17,084 >> Every plant is a resource, right? They say 349 00:20:17,150 --> 00:20:20,020 everything our Mother Earth gives us. He goes like, 350 00:20:20,087 --> 00:20:22,155 that is a form of medicine. You just have to find out 351 00:20:22,222 --> 00:20:25,125 what it is so you can smell that. 352 00:20:25,692 --> 00:20:28,562 historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk 353 00:20:28,629 --> 00:20:32,566 nation, says plants can soothe sores on the body. 354 00:20:32,633 --> 00:20:34,668 >> It allows you to heal a little bit better. So it's 355 00:20:34,735 --> 00:20:37,538 a different form of medicine. 356 00:20:37,604 --> 00:20:42,709 mounds, and waterways in the Lower Mud Lake Natural 357 00:20:42,776 --> 00:20:45,546 Resource Area are a part of 165 acres of property 358 00:20:45,612 --> 00:20:49,416 returned to Ho-Chunk nation from Dane County. 359 00:20:49,483 --> 00:20:51,785 Quackenbush says the land acquisition is an 360 00:20:51,852 --> 00:20:54,354 opportunity for the public to learn. 361 00:20:54,421 --> 00:20:56,523 >> So the milkweed itself, we call it Marquette. You 362 00:20:56,590 --> 00:20:59,259 just during this time of year, these heads over here, 363 00:20:59,326 --> 00:21:01,295 while they're really young, you pick that and it 364 00:21:01,361 --> 00:21:04,164 doesn't hurt the plant at all. Once you gain the 365 00:21:04,231 --> 00:21:06,834 knowledge and use of it there, that's something 366 00:21:06,900 --> 00:21:09,269 that we tend to pass on from generation to 367 00:21:09,336 --> 00:21:12,539 generation. The plants. >> So nearly $6.5 million 368 00:21:12,606 --> 00:21:15,309 from the Dane County Conservation Fund was used 369 00:21:15,375 --> 00:21:19,079 to purchase a private property south of Babcock 370 00:21:19,146 --> 00:21:21,849 County Park, including significant frontage along 371 00:21:21,915 --> 00:21:26,186 Yahara River Lower Mud Lake and Lake Waubesa. Dane 372 00:21:26,253 --> 00:21:29,623 County will place it in a conservation easement in 373 00:21:29,690 --> 00:21:32,526 partnership with Groundswell Conservancy, a 374 00:21:32,593 --> 00:21:35,462 nonprofit environmental organization, to 375 00:21:35,529 --> 00:21:37,631 permanently prohibit development, preserve 376 00:21:37,698 --> 00:21:41,268 public access and protect the land's cultural 377 00:21:41,335 --> 00:21:44,037 significance. >> Ho-Chunk nation will own 378 00:21:44,104 --> 00:21:47,941 and manage the land, steward the land in 379 00:21:48,008 --> 00:21:50,210 perpetuity. >> Quackenbush says. The 380 00:21:50,277 --> 00:21:53,480 Ho-Chunk are the land's original caretakers. 381 00:21:53,547 --> 00:21:56,049 >> We're the only tribe that has the ability to 382 00:21:56,116 --> 00:21:59,920 speak confidently about the. We were the first and 383 00:21:59,987 --> 00:22:02,990 original people from this region right here. 384 00:22:03,056 --> 00:22:05,492 >> When you say ancestral territories, we're Ho-Chunk 385 00:22:05,559 --> 00:22:07,928 always here. >> We have beautiful 386 00:22:07,995 --> 00:22:10,931 stories that talks about how we adapted through time 387 00:22:10,998 --> 00:22:14,801 from living in a place of refuge and moving back into 388 00:22:14,868 --> 00:22:17,638 these first places as that glacier began to recede. 389 00:22:17,704 --> 00:22:20,207 >> He says. Their oral history talks about their 390 00:22:20,274 --> 00:22:23,443 cultural and environmental adaptation. As Ho-Chunk 391 00:22:23,510 --> 00:22:26,079 people moved through the region for thousands of 392 00:22:26,146 --> 00:22:28,115 years. >> That place of refuge 393 00:22:28,182 --> 00:22:31,118 that we referred to, today's society calls 394 00:22:31,185 --> 00:22:33,187 Driftless Area. >> He says. Their 395 00:22:33,253 --> 00:22:36,089 indigenous language mentions red banks of the 396 00:22:36,156 --> 00:22:39,726 past that are still evident in Wisconsin today. 397 00:22:39,793 --> 00:22:43,363 >> We say Moogasuc in our language. It places you 398 00:22:43,430 --> 00:22:46,099 exactly where that location is. These red banks that 399 00:22:46,166 --> 00:22:49,870 are associated with this ancestral place of origin. 400 00:22:49,937 --> 00:22:52,206 >> According to Quackenbush, the Ho-Chunk nation will be 401 00:22:52,272 --> 00:22:56,176 solely responsible for costs including property 402 00:22:56,243 --> 00:22:59,079 taxes and maintenance of the land. With insight from 403 00:22:59,146 --> 00:23:02,416 the conservancy that includes six archeological 404 00:23:02,482 --> 00:23:05,819 sites and 22 ancient burial mounds. 405 00:23:06,820 --> 00:23:08,922 >> There's a mound system that rises right straight 406 00:23:08,989 --> 00:23:11,391 through it that's nothing more than a large mortuary 407 00:23:11,458 --> 00:23:14,561 site. It's like walking across a burial system. For 408 00:23:14,628 --> 00:23:16,797 modern people out there, there's some respect that 409 00:23:16,864 --> 00:23:18,765 needs to be instilled in that. 410 00:23:18,832 --> 00:23:22,870 >> According to archeologists, there's at 411 00:23:22,936 --> 00:23:25,739 recorded archeological sites in the Dunn Township 412 00:23:25,806 --> 00:23:29,943 part of Dane County. But the sites on the 165 acres 413 00:23:30,010 --> 00:23:32,446 donated to Ho-Chunk were lost in a series of 414 00:23:32,513 --> 00:23:34,748 treaties between the Ho-Chunk and the federal 415 00:23:34,815 --> 00:23:38,285 government during the 1800s, long before Wisconsin was 416 00:23:38,352 --> 00:23:41,588 an established state. This began an era of forced 417 00:23:41,655 --> 00:23:44,725 removals for Ho-Chunk, the original caretakers of this 418 00:23:44,791 --> 00:23:49,229 land and its waters. >> By captions in time in 419 00:23:49,296 --> 00:23:52,866 the 1800s, primarily where a lot of land was ceded 420 00:23:52,933 --> 00:23:56,270 because there was forced removals. 421 00:23:56,837 --> 00:23:58,672 >> Jon Greendeer, president of the Ho-Chunk nation, 422 00:23:58,739 --> 00:24:01,041 says the treaties forced the tribe to relocate 423 00:24:01,108 --> 00:24:05,345 across the Midwest, but they returned to Wisconsin. 424 00:24:05,412 --> 00:24:09,683 >> We were able to not only survive in some of those 425 00:24:09,750 --> 00:24:14,254 regions, we were also able to thrive and repopulate. 426 00:24:14,321 --> 00:24:17,925 >> Ho-Chunk became an official nation in 1963, 427 00:24:17,991 --> 00:24:22,296 and today has about 8000 enrolled members. Greendeer 428 00:24:22,362 --> 00:24:25,032 says the land acquisition is about regaining their 429 00:24:25,098 --> 00:24:28,435 cultural footprint on their ancestral homelands. 430 00:24:28,502 --> 00:24:31,705 >> For the Ho-Chunk nation, we never really believed in 431 00:24:31,772 --> 00:24:36,643 land ownership. We believed that the land was there for 432 00:24:36,710 --> 00:24:40,113 us to use as we need it. >> Considering that there's 433 00:24:40,180 --> 00:24:43,150 a conservation easement between Dane County and 434 00:24:43,217 --> 00:24:45,719 Groundswell Conservancy, who is on the title in this 435 00:24:45,786 --> 00:24:47,554 project. >> The Ho-Chunk nation is 436 00:24:47,621 --> 00:24:50,324 going to be entitled to the project, and it's going to 437 00:24:50,390 --> 00:24:52,726 be a part of anything going forward. If there's any 438 00:24:52,793 --> 00:24:55,796 decisions to be made in terms of development in 439 00:24:55,863 --> 00:24:58,866 that area. >> As to the property, 440 00:24:59,700 --> 00:25:02,135 Groundswell Conservancy says the group, along with 441 00:25:02,202 --> 00:25:05,339 Dane County, will do annual visits to the location. 442 00:25:05,405 --> 00:25:07,307 >> To make sure that the conservation values are 443 00:25:07,374 --> 00:25:10,410 being upheld in conjunction with the Ho-Chunk nation. 444 00:25:10,477 --> 00:25:12,980 >> And support Quackenbush in meeting the tribe's 445 00:25:13,046 --> 00:25:16,850 goals to preserve the site. >> What we want is the 446 00:25:16,917 --> 00:25:18,852 protection and enhancement of the environmental 447 00:25:18,919 --> 00:25:22,422 resources. for the public to sit and 448 00:25:22,489 --> 00:25:26,059 engage and learn. >> This property is a 449 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:28,562 beautiful educational opportunity unfolding 450 00:25:28,629 --> 00:25:32,099 before our eyes. >> In Madison. I'm Eric 451 00:25:32,165 --> 00:25:34,968 Ayisi for Here and Now and ICT. 452 00:25:38,205 --> 00:25:41,074 >> Finally tonight, in honor of the end of slavery 453 00:25:41,141 --> 00:25:46,046 more than 160 years ago, on June 19th, 1865, Governor 454 00:25:47,114 --> 00:25:50,284 Tony Evers raised the Juneteenth flag at the 455 00:25:50,350 --> 00:25:53,287 state Capitol. This marked the seventh straight year 456 00:25:53,353 --> 00:25:57,257 the flag has flown over the dome. Juneteenth was 457 00:25:57,324 --> 00:26:01,128 declared a federal holiday in 2021 and is recognized 458 00:26:01,195 --> 00:26:04,765 and celebrated in 50 states and the District of 459 00:26:04,831 --> 00:26:08,068 Columbia. For more on this and other issues facing 460 00:26:08,135 --> 00:26:11,505 Wisconsin, visit our website at PBS 461 00:26:11,572 --> 00:26:13,974 wisconsin.org and then click on the news tab. 462 00:26:14,041 --> 00:26:16,310 That's our program for tonight. I'm Frederica 463 00:26:16,376 --> 00:26:19,279 Freyberg. Have a good weekend. 464 00:26:42,970 --> 00:26:44,037 >> Funding for "Here& Now" is provided by the Focus 465 00:26:44,104 --> 00:26:46,406 is provided by the Focus Fund for Journalism and 466 00:26:46,473 --> 00:26:48,942 friends of PBS Wisconsin.