AUGUST FOUND 80% APPROVAL FOR
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUNDS CHECKS AND
RED FLAG LAWS IN WISCONSIN.
BEARING THAT IN MINDS, GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS THIS WEEK CALLED A
SPECIAL SESSION FOR NOVEMBER 7
TO TAKE UP BOTH GUN CONTROL
MEASURES.
BUT REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE
LEADERS IMMEDIATELY THREW COLD
WATER ON THE IDEA.
FOR MORE ON THIS SPECIAL SESSION
TUG-OF-WAR, WE GO TO THE STATE
CAPITOL, WHERE CAPITOL REPORTER
LAUREL WHITE JOINS US.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> IN FAIRNESS, SPEAKERS VOS AND
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
FITZGERALD DID MORE THAN JUST
THROW COLD WATER ON THIS
SESSION.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
SO GOVERNOR EVERS HAS BEEN
TALKING ABOUT THESE TWO SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS HE WANTS TO SEE
DEBATED DURING A SPECIAL
SESSION.
BECAUSE OF THAT, REPUBLICAN
LEADERS SAY THEY KNOW THEY'RE
CONFIDENT THEY DON'T HAVE THE
VOTES TO PASS EITHER OF THOSE
BILLS.
SPECIFICALLY, SCOTT FITZGERALD
SAID HIS MEMBERS HAVEN'T BEEN
ABLE TO COME UP WITH ANY
ALTERNATIVE PLAN THAT THEY WOULD
RATHER VOTE ON.
SO HE SAYS THEY'RE GOING TO
CONVENE THE SPECIAL SESSION AND
THEN IMMEDIATELY END IT WITHOUT
HAVING ANY DEBATE OR HOLDING ANY
VOTES.
>> SO GAVELING IN AND GAVELING
OUT?
AND THAT IS ALLOWED, I TRUST?
>> IT IS.
SO WHEN THE GOVERNOR CALLS A
SPECIAL SESSION, HE CAN'T COMPEL
THEM TO VOTE ON ANYTHING IN
PARTICULAR OR TAKE ANY VOTES AT
ALL.
THE ONLY THING HE CAN COMPEL
THEM TO DO IS BEGIN AND END THAT
SPECIAL SESSION.
>> NOW, REPUBLICANS SAY THAT
THESE MEASURES ARE TANTAMOUNT TO
CONFISCATING GUNS.
ONE OF THE MEASURES WOULD ALLOW
SOMEONE'S GUNS TO BE REMOVED.
>> UNDER THE RED FLAG PROPOSAL,
A JUDGE COULD TEMPORARILY REVOKE
SOMEONE'S GUN RIGHTS IF THEY ARE
FLAGGED BY SOMEONE WHO KNOWS
THEM, A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER,
AS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO
THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.
UNDER ANOTHER PROPOSAL, THE
BACKGROUND CHECK PROPOSAL,
BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR GUN SALES
IN WISCONSIN WOULD BE EXPANDED
TO PRIVATE SALES.
THOSE SALES CURRENTLY AREN'T
SUBJECT TO BACKGROUND CHECKS.
AND PRIVATE SALES AT GUN SHOWS
AS WELL.
>> EVERS SAID, QUOTE, AT THE END
OF THE DAY, HOW MANY TIMES CAN
YOU GO AGAINST 80% OF THE PEOPLE
OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND
ESSENTIALLY TELL THEM TO GO TO
HELL AND AT THE SAME TIME EXPECT
TO BE REELECTED.
THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME.
SCOTT FITZGERALD IN PARTICULAR
WOULD SEEM AT THIS MOMENT CANNOT
CONSIDER GUN CONTROL
POLITICALLY.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
SO THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
SAYS THAT HE'S VERY CONFIDENT
THAT HE KNOWS WHAT HIS
CONSTITUENTS WANT HIM TO DO
REGARDING GUN CONTROL.
HE SAYS HE HAS PRETTY PROFOUND
CONCERNS ABOUT SECOND AMENDMENT
RIGHTS AND DUE PROCESS RIGHTS,
ABOUT THESE TWO PROPOSALS, AND
HE SAYS THERE JUST ISN'T THE
SUPPORT THERE IN A
REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED
LEGISLATURE.
>> AND HE HAS THROWN HIS HAT IN
THE RING FOR THE FIFTH
CONGRESSIONAL RACE?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
HE IS THE FIRST REPUBLICAN AND
ONLY REPUBLICAN AS OF RIGHT NOW
TO ANNOUNCE FOR THAT RACE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LAUREL WHITE, THANKS VERY MUCH.
AND WE'LL BE TALKING WITH YOU
SOON.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> SPECIAL SESSIONS HAVE
HISTORICALLY PLAYED A UNIQUE
ROLE IN THE LEGISLATURE.
MARISA WOJCIK BRINGS US THESE
FAST FACTS ON SPECIAL SESSIONS.
>> THIS EK WEEK, GOVERNOR EVERS
CALLED ON THE LEGISLATURE TO
HOLD A SPECIAL SESSION TO
ADDRESS TWO BILLS ON GUN
CONTROL.
TYPICALLY, THE CALENDAR AND
AGENDA OF REGULAR LEGISLATIVE
SESSIONS ARE SET BY THE
LEGISLATURE ITSELF.
BUT WHAT MAKES A SPECIAL SESSION
SO SPECIAL?
A SPECIAL SESSION IS CALLED BY
THE GOVERNOR.
AND IT MUST ADDRESS NEW ISSUES
NOT ALREADY BEING CONSIDERED.
THE WISCONSIN LEGISLATURE HAS
CONVENED 97 OF THESE SPECIAL
SESSIONS SINCE 1848 WHEN THE
STATE WAS FOUNDED.
THE FIRST SPECIAL SESSION WAS IN
1861, AND THE MAIN PURPOSE WAS
TO ADDRESS CIVIL WAR POWERS.
THE SECOND WAS IN 1862, AND IT
COVERED MILITIA ORGANIZATION,
SOLDIERS' RIGHT TO VOTE, INDIAN
UPRISING AND PAYMENT TO MILITARY
OFFICE EMPLOYEES.
SOME TOPICS COME UP OVER THE
YEARS, LIKE COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING AGREEMENTS,
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION OR
CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENTS.
OTHER TOPICS ARE A LITTLE MORE
UNIQUE, SUCH AS WAR ECONOMY,
INDEMNITIES FOR CATTLE WITH
TURBERCULOSIS, URBAN PROBLEMS,
STUDDED TIRES AND CORPORATE
HOSTILE TAKEOVERS.
IN THE STATE'S EARLY HIS TOARKS
THE LECTURE DIDN'T CONVENE AS
OFTEN AS IT DOES NOW AND SPECIAL
SESSIONS BEGAN TO GET LAWMAKERS
TO COME BACK TO THE CAPITOL TO
ADDRESS EMERGENCIES.
TODAY, SPECIAL SESSIONS HAPPEN
MORE FREQUENTLY, WITH THE
MAJORITY OF THEM HAVING BEEN
CALLED IN THE LAST SEVERAL
DECADES.
THIS HAS LESS TO DO WITH THE
URGENCY OF THE MATTERS BEING
ADDRESSED.
BECAUSE GOVERNORS CAN SELECT THE
TIME AND SET THE AGENDA OF THE
CALL, A SPECIAL SESSION ALLOWS
THEM TO HIGHLIGHT POLICY
PROBLEMS AND PROPOSE SOLUTIONS.
THE LEGISLATURE MUST RESPOND.
AND IN THIS WAY, THE SPECIAL
SESSION POWER GIVES THE GOVERNOR
AN ENHANCED ROLE IN SETTING THE
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
FOR THESE AND OTHER FAST FACTS,