>> A FIRST LOOK TONIGHT AT THE
GOVERNOR'S CALL FOR A SPECIAL
SESSION THIS WEEK TO TAKE UP
GUN CONTROL LAWS.
THE SESSION DIDN'T HAPPEN.
NO DEBATE, NO VOTES.
THE CALL WAS FOR 2:00 P.M. ON
THURSDAY.
AS THE HOUR CAME AND WENT ONLY
DEMOCRATS FILLED THE SENATE
CHAMBERS AND STOOD IN PRAYER.
HOURS LATER INTO THE EVENING
MAJORITY LEADER SCOTT
FITZGERALD GAVELED IN AND OUT
OF THE SPECIAL SESSION.
THE ASSEMBLY ALSO DECIDED NOT
TO DEBATE OR VOTE OR TWO GUN
MEASURES INCLUDING UNIVERSAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS AND A RED
FLAG LAW.
HERE IS THE RESPONSE FROM
GOVERNOR EVERS.
THEY JUST SAID GO JUMP IN THE
LAKE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE
THE COURAGE TO TAKE A VOTE,
MUCH LESS HAVE A DIALOGUE ON
TWO BILLS ABOUT UNIVERSAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS AND EXTREME
RISK PROTECTION ORDERS THAT WE
KNOW CAN SAVE LIVES.
FOR HIS PART SENATE MAJORITY
LEADER FITZGERALD SAID THIS.
WE'VE SEEN LIBERALS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY RUN ON A PLATFORM FOR
GUN CONFISCATION AND GOVERNOR
EVERS HAS LEFT THAT DOOR OPEN.
THE SPECIAL SESSION WAS THE
SECOND REJECTION OF THE WEEK.
THE POLITICAL BRAWLS STARTED
TUESDAY.
THAT'S WHEN STATE AGRICULTURE
DESIGNEE BRAD PFAFF WAS
SCHEDULED TO BE CONFIRMED BY
THE STATE SENATE.
BRAD PFAFF'S NOMINATION CAME
WITH THE ENDORSEMENT OF A LONG
LIST OF FARM ORGANIZATIONS
INCLUDING THE DAIRY BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION, WISCONSIN
CHEESEMAKERS ASSOCIATION, AND
THE WISCONSIN CORN GROWERS.
PRIOR TO THE VOTE, MAJORITY
LEADER SCOTT FITZGERALD
SIGNALED THAT REPUBLICANS WOULD
NOT SUPPORT THE NOMINEE EVEN
THOUGH FIVE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS
ON THE COMMITTEE THAT FORWARDED
PFAFF'S NOMINATION TO THE FLOOR
HAD VOTED IN HIS FAVOR.
IN ATTENDANCE THE GOVERNOR,
WHICH IN ITSELF SIGNALED THE
CONTROVERSIAL NATURE OF THE
VOTE THAT REJECTED A CABINET
NOMINATION BY A GOVERNOR FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN MODERN STATE
HISTORY.
PRIOR TO THE ROLL CALL
DEMOCRATS SPOKE ON BEHALF OF
PFAFF.
>> YOU ARE GOING TO VOTE NO?
THAT'S SO BLATANTLY POLITICAL.
WE'LL SEND A MESSAGE TO THE
GOVERNOR.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE
NUMBER ONE ADVOCATE FOR FAMILY
FARMS IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
AND CAST HIM TO THE WIND.
YOU THINK THAT'S SENDING A
MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR?
NO.
YOU ARE SENDING A MESSAGE TO
THE AG COMMUNITY.
THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE A
GREAT SECRETARY DESIGNEE, THAT
DOESN'T MATTER TO YOU BECAUSE
YOU WOULD RATHER PLAY POLITICS
THAN LOOK AT THE ISSUES,
QUALIFICATIONS AND ABILITY.
>> MAJORITY LEADER FITZGERALD
SAY IT WAS PFAFF PLAYING
POLITICS IN HIS TIME AS THE
SECRETARY DESIGNEE.
>> I TOLD THE GOVERNOR.
I DON'T THINK THERE IS ENOUGH
SUPPORT FOR HIM BECAUSE OF A
NUMBER OF MISSTEPS THAT HAVE
HAPPENED ACTUALLY GOING BACK TO
FEBRUARY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS
CAUGHT OFFGUARD OR NOT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE CHIEF OF
STAFF WAS CAUGHT OFFGUARD.
WE STARTED A DISCUSSION AND WE
STARTED TO ROLL THROUGH THE
INDIVIDUAL ISSUES THAT EX
ITIONED AROUND PFAFF AND THE
ISSUES THAT IN AND AROUND
AGRICULTURE.
>> THE FINAL VOTE TO REJECT THE
PFAFF NOMINATION RAN ALONG
PARTY LINES.
THE WILD WEEK AT THE CAPITOL
SHOWCASING DIVIDED GOVERNMENT
COULD HAVE ITS LASTING EFFECTS.
IN TONIGHT'S CAPITOL INSIGHT
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION
STATE GOVERNMENT REPORTER LAURA
WHITE JOINS US FROM THE CAPITAL.
LAUREL, THANKS FOR DOING SO.
THIS WAS THE WEEK THE GOVERNOR
CALLED THE SPECIAL SESSION ON
GUN LAWS.
THE MAJORITY MADE QUICK WORK OF
THAT.
DESCRIBE THE MECHANICS.
HOW QUICKLY DID THE MAJORITY
DISMISS THIS SESSION?
>> SO THE SENATE CONVENED AND
ADJOURNED THE SPECIAL SESSION
THERE IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS.
THE ASSEMBLY CONVENED AND
ADJOURNED IN ABOUT 15 SECONDS.
SO VERY QUICK SPECIAL SESSIONS
TO SAY THE LEAST.
>> REPUBLICANS CERTAINLY
SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE
GOVERNOR.
>> THEY WERE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE
BEEN EXPECTING FOR A LITTLE BIT.
REPUBLICANS KNEW WHAT THE TWO
BILLS WERE THE GOVERNOR WAS
CALLING FOR ACTION ON AND
DIDN'T HAVE THE SUPPORT IN
EITHER CHAMBER TO PASS THE
BILLS.
THEY DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT
DEBATE ON THE MEASURES BECAUSE
THEY KNEW THEY WERE OPPOSED.
IT LED TO PUSHBACK FROM
DEMOCRATS SAYING THEY WERE KIND
OF AVOIDING HAVING A
CONVERSATION ABOUT GUN LAWS IN
WISCONSIN.
>> SO WHAT'S THE GOVERNOR'S
MESSAGE BACK TO REPUBLICANS
AFTER THAT DISMISSIVE MOVE?
>> THE DEMOCRATS AND THE
GOVERNOR ARE BOTH SAYING, YOU
KNOW, THESE MEASURES THAT WE
PUT FORWARD ARE VERY POPULAR
WITH THE PUBLIC.
THEY POINT TO MARQUETTE POLL
SAYING THAT EACH OF THOSE TWO
BILLS HAVE EACH 80% SUPPORT OR
HIGHER.
SO THEY ARE SAYING THAT
REPUBLICANS ARE ESSENTIALLY
DOING THIS KIND OF AT THEIR OWN
EXPENSE AT THE POLLS
POTENTIALLY FOR THE NEXT
ELECTION GOING AGAINST IN THEIR
VIEW THE WILL OF THE WISCONSIN
VOTERS.
>> WHAT IS HAPPENING ON ANOTHER
MEASURE WITH THE DATCP POSITION?
>> THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED HE
HAS APOINT AN INTERIM SECRETARY
FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE.
RANDY ROMAN SKI WILL SERVE IN
THE ROLE.
WE HAVE SOMEONE AT THE HELM OF
THE AGENCY UNTIL THE GOVERNOR
MAKES HIS NEXT NOMINATION FOR
THE PERSON THAT WILL HAVE TO GO
THROUGH THIS CONFIRMATION
PROCESS FROM SQUARE ONE.
>> SO AGAIN YOU JUST CALLED HIM
INTERIM AND EXACTLY WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN?
DO WE HAVE THAT TIME FRAME?
>> NO.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAS A
STRONG IDEA OF HOW LONG HE IS
GOING TO BE SERVING IN THAT
ROLE OR WHO THE GOVERNOR MIGHT
PUT FORWARD IN A MORE PERMANENT
CAPACITY FOR DATCP.
HE SAID IMMEDIATELY AFTER PFAFF
WAS VOTED DOWN HE DIDN'T HAVE
PLANS FOR THE AGENCY BECAUSE HE
WAS SO UPSET BY WHAT HAPPENED
WITH THE SENATE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS
DEFINITELY STILL EVOLVING IN
THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
>> HAS A STATE SENATE REJECTION
OF A NOMINEE EVER HAPPENED IN
STATE HISTORY?
WE'VE BEEN READING ABOUT THAT.
>> WE DON'T HAVE A CONCRETE
ANSWER TO THAT.
WE KNOW IT HASN'T HAPPENED IN
AT LEAST THE LAST 30 YEARS.
THAT'S AS FAR BACK AS THE
LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU
HAS GONE WITH THEIR RECORDS TO
1987.
THEY SAID IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
EVEN LONGER THAN THAT.
>> HAVE YOU EVER SEEN OR HAVE
OTHERS IN THE CAPITOL CORE EVER
SEEN A GOVERNOR IN THE CHAMBERS
AS THIS KIND OF ACTION WAS
TAKING PLACE?
>> NO.
THAT WAS INCREDIBLY UNUSUAL.
I THINK VETERAN REPORTERS WERE
TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY HAD
NEVER SEEN IT.
ACTUALLY A REPORTER REACHED OUT
TO A SENATOR IN OFFICE FOR MORE
THAN 50 YEARS SAYING HE HAD
NEVER SEEN A GOVERNOR ON THE
SENATE FLOOR WATCHING A DEBATE.
IT WAS A REALLY UNUSUAL VOTE TO
OUST A CABINET SECRETARY AND
UNUSUAL MOVE FOR A GOVERNOR TO
BE THERE WITNESSING THE DEBATE
ABOUT IT.
>> THANK Y