%ESSENTIALS.
%>> THAT WAS HEALTH
%SECRETARY-DESIGNEE ANDREA PALM.
%WE'RE JOINED NOW BY GOVERNOR
%TONY EVERS FOR THE LATEST ON THE
%PANDEMIC'S GRIP ON WISCONSIN.
%GOVERNOR EVERS, THANKS VERY MUCH
%FOR JOINING US.
%>> THANK YOU, FRED REEK CAVMENT
%>> FREDERICA.
%>> WHAT WORDS DO YOU HAVE FOR
%WISCONSIN AS WE EXPERIENCE A
%RECORD SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES?
%>> YEAH.
%THE WORD ARE WE ARE NOT IN THE
%BEST PLACE POSSIBLE, FRANKLY.
%AS IT RELATES TO COVID-19.
%WE'RE HAVING SOME SURGES AROUND
%THE STATE.
%AND THE TIME IS NOW.
%THE TIME IS NOW.
%YOU KNOW, SCHOOL DISTRICTS
%MAKING PLANS FOR THIS FALL.
%LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE
%HAPPENING IN THE STATE.
%AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO DRIVE
%DOWN THOSE NUMBERS IS GOING TO
%BE -- PAY OFF AND IT'S ABOUT
%REAL SIMPLE STUFF.
%IT'S ABOUT MASKS.
%IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT
%WE'RE SOCIALLY DISTANT.
%AVOID PLACES WHERE YOU'RE GOING
%TO BE CRAMMED INTO A SMALL PLACE
%WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
%A LOT OF THEM DON'T HAVE MASKS.
%THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A REAL GOOD
%THING TO DO.
%SO IT'S THE SIMPLE STUFF THAT
%WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE
%TO BE CAREFUL AT THIS POINT IN
%TIME.
%WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION.
%>> HOW READY ARE YOU TO TRY TO
%IMPOSE A STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE
%AS OTHER STATES HAVE NOW DONE?
%>> WELL, CERTAINLY THE
%REPUBLICANS AND THEIR ALLIES ON
%THE SUPREME COURT DID WHAT THEY
%DID, AND THE ABILITY FOR ME TO
%DO THAT IS QUESTIONABLE.
%SO WE CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THAT,
%BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, YOU
%KNOW, THE REPUBLICANS, AT LEAST
%PUBLICLY, HAVE SAID THEY HAVE NO
%INTEREST IN THIS.
%I KNOW JUST THIS LAST WEEK, THE
%SENATE LEADER WAS TALKING THAT
%UNDER NO WAY THAT WE'D DO THIS.
%SO WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE SURE
%THAT PEOPLE GET -- WE GET THE
%WORD OUT.
%AND CERTAINLY THE CORPORATE
%WORLD HAS STEPPED UP, WITH LOTS
%OF RETAILING PLACES SAYING, HEY,
%WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AND WE'RE
%ENCOURAGING THE PEOPLE THAT GOT
%MONEY FROM WEDC TO DO THAT.
%SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THAT
%ANGLE.
%BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
%WHETHER WE DID AN ORDER OR NOT
%AND WHETHER THAT ORDER WOULD BE
%FOUND TO BE VALID OR NOT, IT'S
%UP TO INDIVIDUALS TO DO THIS.
%AND INDIVIDUALS REALLY NEED TO
%STEP UP.
%>> WE KNOW THAT MADISON AND
%MILWAUKEE AND POTENTIALLY OTHER
%DISTRICTS WILL START THE SCHOOL
%YEAR VIRTUALLY.
%HOW SAFE DO YOU THINK IT IS TO
%REOPEN SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES?
%>> WELL, IN CERTAIN PLACES, I
%CONSIDER THEM OPEN IF THEY'RE
%OFFERING INSTRUCTION.
%AND SO VIRTUAL OPENING IS OKAY
%AS LONG AS THERE'S A PATHWAY
%TOWARDS IN-PERSON.
%WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT PATHWAY
%THERE.
%AND THERE WILL BE PLACES IN THE
%STATE THAT -- IN THE K-12 WORLD
%THAT IT'S GOING TO BE JUST FINE.
%SO I KNOW IT'S INDIVIDUAL
%DECISION-MAKING, BUT AT THIS
%POINT IN TIME, I THINK THAT OUR
%SCHOOLS AND OUR UNIVERSITIES ARE
%DOING A GOOD JOB THINKING
%THROUGH THIS.
%>> WE LEARNED TODAY THE
%POTAWATOMI CASINO WILL
%PERMANENTLY LAY OFF MORE THAN
%1,000 EMPLOYEES.
%THERE ARE WORRIES ABOUT THE
%EXTRA UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND
%UTILITY SHUT-OFFS AND EVICTIONS.
%WHAT CAN YOU DO?
%>> WE HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT%TH
ING.%THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE
%DESERVING OF UNEMPLOYMENT FUNDS
%ARE NOT GETTING THEM, THAT'S
%JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
%AND SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD
%TO DO THAT.
%IN ADDITION, WE'RE WORKING WITH
%THE PSC AND OTHERS TO MAKE SURE
%THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW,
%HAVING THEIR ELECTRICITY AND
%UTILITIES TURNED OFF HAVE
%OPTIONS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH
%THAT.
%SO ABSOLUTELY.
%THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART
%OF THIS.
%IT'S THE HUMAN, FRANKLY, CARNAGE
%IN SOME RESPECTS THAT THIS VIRUS
%HAD LAID AT OUR DOORSTEP.
%WE HAVE TO RESPOND AND RESPOND
%APPROPRIATELY.
%>> YOU MET OVER THIS WEEK WITH
%VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE.
%WHAT DID HE TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT
%KIND OF FINANCIAL HELP MIGHT BE
%COMING TO STATES AND WHEN?
%>> WELL, HE INDICATED THAT THE
%TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WHEN THEY
%GO THROUGH THE NEXT GO-AROUND OF
%CARES FUNDING, WOULD PROVIDE --
%OR THEY'RE INTERESTED IN
%PROVIDING SOME MONEY FOR
%EDUCATION, TO MAKE SURE THAT
%THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO WHAT
%THEY NEED TO OPEN SAFELY.
%AND THAT'S GREAT.
%THAT'S REEFLLY REALLY GOOD NEWS.
%BUT, FRANKLY, WE ALSO NEED MONEY
%FOR THE STATE AND THE COUNTIES
%AND THE MUNICIPALITIES, TOO.
%THE REVENUE LOSS HAS BEEN
%SIGNIFICANT, AND IF THAT MONEY
%ISN'T PROVIDED TUESDAY, IT'S
%GOING TO HURT SCHOOL DISTRICTS,
%IT'S GOING TO HURT
%MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES.
%SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
%THEM TO STEP UP.
%AND I THINK SOMETHING WILL
%HAPPEN, BUT IT'S -- YOU KNOW,
%IT'S PART OF THE WASHINGTON
%POLITICS.
%WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO
%HAPPEN?
%>> GOVERNOR EVERS, WE NEED TO
%LEAVE IT THERE.
%THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US