for a week and a half now that they're going to do this and there's nothing
really materializing and it's just like making me think is this a lot of nice
thought but nothing will happen if I okay okay
should we start over just a race at almost at least we can think the
atmosphere for letting us know early on so if you would please tell me where
this issue of refugee resettlement and the Chippewa Valley started for you it
started for me in October of just this past year 2023 so a few months ago I got
a call from one of my constituents and actually it wasn't one I started get
many many calls emails emails calls saying did you see the TV 18 report what
TV 18 report no I haven't seen it we're going to get refugees and Eau Claire
we're gonna have 75 refugees come in and did you know about this I said no I
didn't know about it and what does anybody know about it I said I will find
out do you have any details I don't have any details and so that is when I
started to investigate it and so I talked to the head of World Relief World
Relief this the name of the the organization that are that helped settle
refugees the United States and then I also talked to the state coordinator we
have a state refugee resettlement coordinator for the state of Wisconsin
talk to them and what occurred is that in the in the US code and I also looked
at the US code I also talked to Congressman Tiffany and Congressman
Van Orton I mean I went to everybody and Senator Johnson and all of them in the
US code in 1980 there's a refugee resettlement act and so refugees can
come in there they're under a vetting process they have to be vetted and they
have to go through quite a large number of steps that can take seven to ten years
you know that they are in whatever country they're in and before that they
are finally approved if they are approved to be able to finally arrive in the United
States and then a third-party organization like World Relief and there's
Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services there's ten they have to be
certified by the United States government that they are legitimate
refugee resettlement organizations and right now we have ten of those world
relief is one of them and so by the US code that organization is required to
have quarterly meetings and to do contact and coordinate with state and
local government before bringing the refugees in so that is part of the US
code and so when I brought that to world release attention the head of the world
relief for the office in Eau Claire and then to the secretary to the to the
refugee resettlement had here at the state level they said well we did
coordinate with government and I said well what governmental official did you
coordinate with well with the city manager and so what the phone calls that
I were getting from my constituents and they were not just a few I mean we were
talking about hundreds and hundreds and hundreds which I have had more calls
about this than any other issue people always think the abortion issue is a big
not for the people that have been calling me the big issue was this one we just
want to know what's going on we don't feel like where are they coming from or
what are we even the big question was with what's going on with Eau Claire at
that time we didn't have the HSHS closer that was October in that HSHS it's just
happened a couple weeks ago but we have a homeless problem in Eau Claire we have
you know schools that are struggling I had a person from the school district
which is right joining Eau Claire in Altuna mothers that are calling me that
are crying saying I don't even feel like my child's getting the attention and
they had a failed referendum last year in Altuna and so that we don't have the
money to take care of our own kids and have a classroom space how can we take
more kids because the settlement is not what the US law says is that they can
settle within a hundred mile radius and so from what I was told by the refugee
coordinator that they were gonna stay mainly in Eau Claire but there's a
settlement in Barron and so they wanted to be able to be settling north and
towards Barron up into the Chippewa area and so that people just want to know
did you contact you know the elected officials or they in on it and that's
that's where that's where a step was missed that's what there was there wasn't
any coordination done with the Eau Claire County Board or with the Chippewa
County Board in fact they didn't even know that Chippewa County had part of the
city of Eau Claire in it they the third-party agency didn't know so they were
coordinating with stakeholders but they left out the elected officials and so
county sheriffs and Chippewa didn't know didn't know in Eau Claire they didn't
have any word the city council didn't even know so it was that that was the
problem because the people they use this expression to me over and over we are
having taxation without representation we want our elected officials to be in on
the process so they can say yes we have the schools that can handle it we have
the county is the one who has to pay for all the services for health and human
resources so that if you don't have a job you need you know assistance if you
need medical assistance all of that is handled by the county because the
government the federal government only pays for 90 days of help to the refugees
then all that goes away then the community has to absorb those costs and if you
come in as a refugee you have the same status as a as any other citizen they're
not citizens yet but you have the same status to be able to access any of the
care you know whether it's health care you know schools housing you have the
same rights as a citizen and so that's all these people that are calling me and
saying are we prepared do we have the infrastructure in place and we like our
city elected officials to be able to evaluate it and say I have for instance
the old Claire cheap head of the budget committee he has talked to me so many
times sent me text emails and saying we don't have the money in Eau Claire
County to sustain this we already have a problem with enough money with DHS that's
the Department of Health Services in Eau Claire that we are having a very
difficult time funding what we have to fund already we cannot take on an
additional burden I said well that is up to the county and the county has since
voted they took a vote to you know to welcome them which is fine which but
that all happened after the fact it's big it actually just blew up and so that
was a problem so World Relief says that as you said they did have a lot of
conversations with stakeholders and I mean since October November now we're in
February and so more conversations have happened and that they have found by
and large people are very excited for these people and that overall 75 people
is not that much in the grand scheme of things when in the Chippewa Valley
there's hundreds of thousands of people so why are 75 people who for all
intents and purposes could be 75 people coming from neighboring cities other
cities in Wisconsin neighboring states they have kind of the same statuses they
can work why is that causing so much consternation it is actually it's not
the people coming in it was just that that the public wasn't aware of it because
75 people coming in from Minnesota or another state they're coming here on
their own they have the money to come here on their own they're moving their
families here and they get a job I mean there are people like you and I and so
but these are people that are most likely going to be dependent upon
services and so that it was just that they weren't notified it's not it's a
nothing against the refugee process it's nothing against people as you know the
people of Wisconsin we are loving I think we're some of the kindest loving
people we give a shirt off our back to anybody in need but there's something
else about Wisconsinites we're very practical I have learned to have been
running for office and everything it's just they're very practical do you have
enough time to do this Karen can you do this job and this job and be a state
legislator no I don't think you cancel I'm not voting for you because you can't
do all these jobs at once they're that mean they're pre they're practical can
we can we support this and so if we can if the they just want the county
governments and those that are elected officials to be able to weigh in and say
something instead of just an unelected official making the decision and because
it does affect the community because they do have to have they do have to pay
for the services that these people will be receiving so they just wanted to be
they just want to be a part of it that's all they just want to be informed and
have the government be transparent and one thing World Relief told me is that
over a span of time the amount of money that these folks put into the economy
and pay in with taxes is significant compared to the services that they
receive like studies have been done so you know is there really a need for
concern over a drain of resources if if it balances out that they are contributing
members to society yeah and that would be up to the counties to decide because
I don't know I don't know Chippewa County's budget I don't know Claire County's
budget and that would be up for them to decide do we have the money to fund
this until the 10 year mark when they are you know contributing back you know and
so we did look at stats from the State Department and the Department and met
with the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security and
Department of Housing Human Services from the federal level of Representative
Van Ward and Congressman Van Ward and Congressman Tiffany was there as well
as local representatives we met with them last Monday and they showed us how
over a long number of years that they could be then actually contributing
which we think is great we have a wonderful long long population in the
Chippewa Valley and they are wonderful people hard-working very wonderful
people it's it's not against a people or a person it is just do you have the
resources right now and very well may but just let the county boards decide
that you know let them have a say in it because that's why we elect
representatives I mean I hope that you know you would think that I would know
about the problems going on in the state so that I could represent you and so
that's why they elect these county board supervisors so that they could say yes
we think it's fine we're good everybody that's all they wanted and I actually
told world relief that way back in October I brought it up to the head the
local head of the world relief I said this is kind of blow up I said I'm already
getting hundreds of phone calls I said we can stop this right now just go to the
Chippewa clerk of the county and just say I need a schedule meeting with the
county board and meet with the county board and say we'd like to bring in some
refugees you know and just inform me of it can we work with you and go to the
old-player county board and you know wherever whatever counties are going to
be affected by this and just work with them and they it's like there aren't
they stakeholders too aren't our elected officials stakeholders also were they
refusing to work with them or they just had a chance no I won't I have to check
with headquarters and I'll get back with you and I called her back two more
times and she said we're still checking and they never did and finally because
it blew up and was on the news and they had a protest and all kinds of other
things Chippewa County board chairman contacted them and insisted on a meeting
but they never got a hold of them and so then the meetings were started because
of the public outcry just have the meeting with our officials because it
was so simple just include them on the conversation they're elected officials
they should be included because otherwise because it looks sneaky that's what it
that's why everybody say it looks sneaky and it's just like it doesn't have to be
sneaky just talk to your elected officials and then everything's out in
the open so then there is no problem and then I I'm telling you the people of
Eau Claire and Chippewa will probably say that's great let's help them now I
don't know if they'll say that right now HSHS are very upset about HSHS this is
a crisis there but but beforehand so they just need to know and so I will say I
will give credit to World Relief and to especially to Miss Martinez who is the
state refugee coordinator she has been wonderful her name is Boyana Martinez
she's been absolutely wonderful and the refugees were already supposed to be
here they were supposed to come before Christmas and then they put it off to
mid-January they're still not here and that reason is is that because they have
they've realized that some steps had been skipped and it's not all third-party
organizations that skipped steps I just went through a Senate and assembly
hearing because I proposed a bill to say let's we just want to make sure you just
talk to elected officials to make them part of the stakeholders state and local
government that would be the elected officials just make them part of the
stakeholder when you meet you know include them please that's all this bill
says and so when we had the hearings on that we had it yesterday and the day
before then we heard from the the different you know they're called
bull eggs or these voluntary third-party nonprofits and several of them came the
Catholic Charities and the Lutheran services and and several of them said
we already do that that's one of the first people we contact you know as we
and we asked and it was very specific because we also asked the federal
employees there's not a specific delineated you need to contact this this
this this this person it just says state and local government in the US code so
it's up to each one of those low lags to be able to say okay these are these
are the checkboxes that we go through that we've contacted each one of these
people and so several of those organizations that testified in committee
said those these are the first people we contacted the mayor perfect that's it
all done everybody's happy that's all we wanted just could you contact a mayor
could you contact the county or chair that's all we wanted that's all this
bill wants to do just make them part of the stakeholder group that's all one
thing that world relief told me is that this would trigger any state and local
government any board or body within a hundred mile radius to take this up for
consideration and then possibly vote on a resolution about it and that it would
be the the trigger would be really sensitive and so it would be an
inordinate amount of requirements for school boards that will never interact
with one of these families or communities that will never come into
contact with one of these families and that this hundred mile radius is half the
state in some cases and for the most part these families settle very close to the
center of Eau Claire and the only reason why they don't send house them close to
where the actual organization is in the city is if they have family nearby so
does this bill put undue burden on all of these surrounding communities you
know there's thousands of local bodies and town boards village boards school
boards where they have a lot on their plate already and this is just too much
I don't think it's a burn middle it's actually very minimal because they just
have to be notified and if they want to be a part of the discussion they can
send a representative and if they don't I serve on the village board in Fall
Creek and so I have been there for several years now and we are always you
know okay who wants to be the point of contact and go to the watershed meeting
or who's going to be a part of you know the Lake District meeting or who's going
to be and we always have to you know okay I'll do that you know it's the
extracurricular job on the board and I mean and and then if you're not
interested you know on a school board it would be the same they would say oh
would you want to attend the meeting and they'll say no we don't think there's
any problem and you don't have to attend so it'd be those interested parties
that want to so the 100 mile radius isn't something set by the state here it's
that's set by the federal government so I can't change that because that's
their their guidance is that there that the refugees they limit them they can't
move outside of that 100 mile radius but they had to put a radius on that's
what the federal government I have talked to Congressman Tiffany and
Congressman Van Norton and Senator Ron Johnson I think would you please look
at amending the laws at the state level because it would take it all way if they
would just put coordinate with elected state and local elected government
officials just say elected in there and then if they want to keep the 100
miles it's up there or just say elected and then the whole problem is taken care
of but they don't have that language I don't know if they'll that language has
been there for several decades now but that's a federal problem I can't change
that so we just we just want people to be informed and if they don't want to
participate they don't have to participate they can say that's gonna
bother me that's 90 miles over okay we're not going to meet him they'll handle it
so another item is the federal law says they do have to these organizations do
have to coordinate with local people and consults but they do not have to receive
permission is what you have in your mind the equivalent of permission not at all
input that's all this is could we be at the table to that's all we're asking can
we be at the table to that's all this bill is about so it's just to say I already said
it input is there a lot of misinformation and confusion around refugee resettlement
and the difference between someone who is a refugee who has been waiting in their
own country for years to be vetted and approved and then flown in to the United
States versus someone who is seeking asylum at the US Mexico border and they
have a they're in a much different legal limbo than someone who is of refugee
status I would say there is confusion that is why I state in every place I go
and I'm glad you brought up on a state here unequivocally there is a huge
difference a refugee is vetted by our government and it's a very rigorous
process they go through that takes years and years for them to finally be
approved that's a refugee there are two different types of immigrants there's
legal immigrants and they go through a process too and we have some wonderful
legal immigrants that are you know in our country that are doing great work
then there's the illegal immigrants everybody's very aware of that with our
southern border what's going on there that's illegal immigrants and then we
have like the Afghanis when they came over when you know when we had the
withdrawal from Afghanistan they're under a completely different situation
too none of the current laws apply with them actually the Secretary of State
explained to us that they were under a whole different chapter in the law and
they're they're completely different so refugees are the ones that are are
different and I'm always making that distinction these are for refugees not
immigrants illegal immigrants because that's really what most people would
worry about is illegal immigrants because everybody else is legally coming in
and world relief made the distinction that even if there were more resources
put towards the refugee resettlement process then there might be relief at
the US southern border US Mexico southern border because there are less
people who are waiting for a long long time to go through the vetted refugee
resettlement process and so they can't wait anymore and so they have to go
through the southern border would you at all be supportive of expanding the
refugee resettlement program since it does have a more robust system of
approving people well the money it really doesn't the the real issue is the
number of refugees that can come in that's set by the United States president
every year it's set and so this year it's set at 125,000 and if you go back and
look through the years there's all kinds of different numbers through the years
and so they the government is willing to pay the money for whatever it is it's
just it's the process when we sat through that briefing with the Secretary of
State this just Monday so just four days ago they went through the vetting process
in detail it's not a money issue it is it is just a tremendous amount of
information and coordination that has to be made because they are checking out
all their records from their home country and then they are cross-referencing all
kinds of database with the FBI with with the Department of Immigration with I
mean it's a huge incredible process and so they're doing as many as they can and
it's not a money issue it's just a matter of the coordination and time and
then as far as the 90 days that's set in federal law that that's how long they
get and then actually Department Homeland Security and our Department of Health
and Human Services they will continue with some additional help to the refugees
for a full year after they're here like with language interpreters so they
also are kicking in some fun so 90 days that the Secretary of State's office that
gives the money for for housing you know for food for you know all basic needs
to get settled and then there's other help coming for another year for an up to
a year but I guess in theory would you be supportive of that number being
larger so that something like whitewater where they have a large number of people
who are they're not legal they're not illegal they're just in a limbo status
are moving to that area and the local city and county are struggling to keep
up would you support expanding refugee resettlement and the numbers of people
that come through that program in order to I am supportive of people coming to
our country as long as they're coming legally so yes absolutely you know let
them come I mean we all were refugees at some point our ancestors I mean this
country belonged to the First Nation tribes you know so yes but they have to
come in legally so and refugees are coming in legally everybody should know
that they're coming in legally is there a message that you want to deliver to
the refugees that will be coming in to the Eau Claire area yes we want you to
come and we want you to feel welcome and all of what we're doing is just
making sure that we have the infrastructure to support you and making
sure that everyone is at the table so we have a place for your children to go
to school and a way that they can communicate you know so that because
they will have to have interpreters until they learn their language and so we
want you we know you've been through hard times and this is a land of
opportunity and we want you to be able to share and thank you for going through
the legal process thank you for taking the years that you have taken and all the
trouble and all the paperwork and everything that you have done so that
you can get to get to this place and then is there something you want the
people of the Chippewa Valley to know yes for the people at Chippewa Valley I
want you to know I am fighting for your voice at the table that's all that we're
looking for is could we have a seat at the table that's all and so your voice
needs to be heard too and I recognize you people at Chippewa Valley you love
people just like I do and we want to welcome all those give us your poor
and you're hurting and you're sick and we will help them if we can and is there
anything else you would like to add on this topic I can't think of anything
else you've done a great job so if you have just a couple more minutes if we
could just talk a little bit about the HSHS topic so the health sister wait
it's the hospital sister's health system yeah my mother was a physical
therapist there her whole career but we just always knew it as sacred heart
tell me what you have learned about the impact of HSHS closing in the Chippewa
Valley and the Provea clinics closing as far as the impact I consider this to
be huge not as big as the Maui fires but certainly bigger than the East Palestine
Ohio trained derailment where they had the big chemical spill it's bigger than
that I see it is bigger than that this people are I see that people are going
to die and you'll say well how come people die you know run them to Mayo
run them to Marshfield take them up to bloom or run them over to the you know
down to the cross the city you know take them over but they're we're going to
lose 38% of our emergency care services came through the HSHS services and so
38% if you're one of the 38 emergencies you're having a heart attack now you
need to get to a hospital you could have been in in Chippewa Falls I'm thinking
of St. Joseph's you could be there in five minutes ten at the most you were
there and they're working on you to revive you and to keep you alive now we
have to drive all the way down Eau Claire are we gonna go up to bloomer and
bloomers already over while they're getting eight to ten more patients per
day and they were already saturated and they're going stop we can't we don't
have place for them we don't know what to do and so this is a major catastrophe
for our area I'm I'm sick about it I'm just sick about it so we had 900 mothers
give birth to babies just last year at Sacred Heart we have we have over 900
mothers that are expecting so we have to you know are well the other two health
systems in Eau Claire there's nothing in Chippewa Falls now that was the only
hospital in Chippewa Falls in St. Joseph's it's gone what about what about all
of the I can't tell you how bad the mental health problem is in our country
today in the state of Wisconsin it breaks my heart and we just had Ellie
Phillips celebrated you know center they do all the detox detox is incredibly
tricky you can die during detox you can't just stop a drug you know and just
survive you can die it is a very specific procedure they close her doors
on Friday they're gone they're gone so places like Arbor Place that's a
Menominee that take you people after their detox and other places what are
where are they going to send them what are we going to do and what do we do
about the people that you know so oftentimes when you're struggling with
mental health you just need somebody to talk to to you know to talk you down
out of the tree you know we all get upset sometimes and we just need someone
to you know be a calming voice and you know you don't have to take your life
it's okay what what do we do I mean we're going to lose people through
suicide drug overdose emergency care you know that we didn't make it to the
hospital in time this is it is very very concerning it's not even a strong
word I'm very very upset about the whole thing what should have been done
differently they should have contacted us ahead of time the federal
legislators they call the congressman first because they didn't know either
they got a two-hour notice and then they call the state legislators next the
CEO of HSHS they called us and they gave us an hour and a half notice could we
you know and they said you have questions yes I have questions did you try
partnerships have you tried affiliations did you try did you come to look come
to us as the government for possible you know help loans did you there was
no we did all that no we're done we're finished with Western Wisconsin we want
to share you that we're gonna stay in Eastern Wisconsin but we're done just
like we're reeling you know it takes time to you know and there besides the
1400 people that are out of a job I mean that's that's grievous enough but
it's the people that won't get the care that is most upsetting because when
you're hurting or you know elective surgeries forget them they're out the
window you know you just have to be in dire shape and then hopefully we can
get you somewhere to keep you alive this is not good what do you think should
happen going forward we have to help in some way and so my colleagues and I we
are we are we are doing everything that we can at this level and hopefully you
will see something come out but we have to get the governor to work with us we
have to get a legislator behind us but I want you to know that the state
representatives for the Chippewa Valley we are living breathing this every
moment and trying to come up with something something to be able to to help
the governor was up and I'll Claire on Monday he was there Monday morning yes
what do you think about the statements he made to the public I was a little
disappointed we have to help them and I mean one of the statements was that you
know he wouldn't want to give any money to a private like Oakley Oakley can
surprise it for profit organization and I understand that I want to be able to
any organization that will step up and open an emergency room and Chippewa
falls so that we don't have people dying before they can get someplace we
need to be able to come up with a way you know whether you something something
because someone's gonna have to step up or I can't step up I don't know how to
take care of someone's heart attack I certainly don't have a facility but I
will do everything I can at the legislative level to make something
happen and I will tell you we are working behind the scenes here we can't
release anything yet but I will tell you we are working I haven't had a meeting
last night with my colleagues it's just like so where are we on this how we got
this set what are we going to do when are we going to make this public what you
know we are working is there anything that you can tell people about when relief
might be on the horizon so much is dependent on if someone will pick up
the pieces you know like Oakleaf you know I oh I hope that it goes through
with Oakleaf but I mean it's been a week and a half now that they've been
negotiating and nothing is coming up and then it's just like someone will have
to step up to the back and you know say sure I'll manage it I mean you have to
have a skill set and an administrative you know backbone in you know
organization to be able to run an emergency room and do these care you
can't just you know just a person off street can't say sure I think I'll run a
hospital you know we have to have people there and I don't know where they are
and if you know will they step up when Marshfield Clinic opened a number of
years or Marshfield Clinic hospital a number of years ago there was a lot of
concern I know from the community and particularly people at Sacred Heart
about are we now oversaturated market what is gonna happen do you think that
was part of the domino effect here I think that it had something to do with
it I think the economy has something to do with it the workforce has something to
do with it I mean you know our economy is blown up I mean everybody knows that
with inflation everything has gone up specifically HSHS when I asked the
question what was it they did mention that COVID was they were already losing
money before COVID that COVID just shot them right out the part I mean they
lost you know on HSHS's behalf I understand it they were there were huge
amounts of money lost you know so and then Marshfield is thought I mean you
might have seen it already in the news Marshfield is also losing money at
they're at a negative 27% you know and so Mayo is the only one that is just
breaking even they're not making money they're just got their head just above
water and also the whole industry the whole health care industry is hurting so
that was definitely part of it COVID is a part of it the economy is a part of it
the workforce is a part of it there's so many things that came in and I do want
to say this about HSHS they had been in the Chippewa Valley for 140 years they
were there when nobody else was there they have always been there and they
have always taken care of the poor and the hurting they're you know they've done
a really good job I'm sorry to see you go what do you think this says about the
state of health care in rural areas where there's an aging population and
there is just a higher and higher need and lower and lower access yeah that it
is a problem that we're facing I mean we discussed that in this legislative body
all the time what can we do as far as legislation I mean we passing bills like
okay to incentivize doctors to go out into rural clinics you know we'll pay for
your education if you will stay there for a certain number of years and you know
in pharmacists we just passed a pharmacy bill like that I mean we're doing
everything we can to entice people into the rural area in these health care
fields and stay there help us you know and we have a terrible problem in the
rural areas with EMS services that's why we have bills to address that too because
the further you get out the longer it takes to get the ambulance there then to
get to back to someplace that they can take care of you I mean it is we yes we
have it is this is a problem that we are looking at every day we're not
ignoring this our head is not in the sand we're doing everything we possibly
can do and I'm open anybody Chippewa Valley whoever's listening this you got
ideas call me call or your legislator if I'm not your legislator not even if I'm
not your illustrator call me if you've got some great ideas so that we can say
brilliant let's make it a love let's do it you know yeah all right representative
heard thanks so much thank you very much Vanessa so I will let you know when we
get these different components up but like I said tomorrow we're speaking with
the Office of Rural Health and then we will air the refugee resettlement