UNANIMOUSLY PASSED ONE OF EIGHT
REPUBLICAN BILLS ADDRESSING
HOMELESSNESS.
IN TONIGHT'S LOOK AHEAD, WE
CHECK IN ON THE REMAINING
LEGISLATION THAT DESPITE
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IS NOT MOVING
FORWARD.
>> ALL MEMBERS VOTE IN THE
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
>> THERE ARE 31 AYES.
>> THE STATE'S FIRST FLOOR
SESSION HAD HOURS OF DEBATE EVEN
FOR A BILL THAT PASSED WITH
UNANIMOUS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
AS MOVEMENT ON THE ISSUE OF
HOMELESS FUNDING HAS PROVEN TO
BE A ROCKY ROAD.
THE BILL THAT PASSED PROVIDES A
TOTAL OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO
HOMELESS SHEALTSERS ACROSS
WISCONSIN -- SHELTERS ACROSS
WISCONSIN AND WAS ORIGINALLY A
PART OF A PACKAGE OF EIGHT
REPUBLICAN BILLS AIMED AT
CURBING HOMELESSNESS WITH A
VARIETY OF MEASURES FROM
EMERGENCY TO PREVENTIVE
PROGRAMS.
>> REALLY THE FOCUS IS TRYING TO
MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE
HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM FROM
BEGINNING TO END.
>> STATE DATA SAYS IN 2018 THERE
WERE 22,000 HOMELESS IN
WISCONSIN.
AND 40% OF THOSE WERE FAMILIES.
THE SAME YEAR THE DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION RECORDED
ALMOST 19,000 HOMELESS STUDENTS
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS THE
STATE.
ALL EIGHT PIECES OF LEGISLATION
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY LAST JUNE
WITH UNANIMOUS PUERTO SUPPORT, A
99-0 VOTE.
THEY SIT IN SENATE COMMITTEES,
STALLED SINCE LAST FALL.
>> THE REPUBLICAN LEADER OF THE
SENATE IS NOT GOING TO BRING ANY
BILL TO THE FLOOR THAT NEEDS
A DEMOCRATIC VOTES TO PASS.
>> JOE VOLK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF THE WISCONSIN COALITION
AGAINST HOMELESSNESS, SAYS A FEW
KEY REPUBLICAN SENATORS OPPOSED
THE LEGISLATION ARE PREVENTING
THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER FROM
BRINGING THEM TO THE FLOOR.
HE SAYS THE SHELTER FUNDING
PRACTICESSED THE SENATE TUESDAY
BECAUSE MANY HOMELESS ARE BEING
LEFT ON THE WINT STREETS.
>> WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THE CASE
IN THE VERY COLD SEASON, WHEN
IT'S MINUS ZERO IN MANY PARTS OF
THE STATE.
>> REPORTS SAY SOME REPUBLICAN
SENATORS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT
SPENDING MORE MONEY.
THE COST OF THIS HOMELESS
PACKAGE WOULD BE LESS THAN
$4 MILLION ANNUALLY.
FAR LESS THAN WHAT NEIGHBORING
STATES SPEND.
>> YOU KNOW, ILLINOIS IS UP TO
22 MILLION.
MICHIGAN IS UP TO 26 MILLION.
AGAIN, MINNESOTA OVER
40 MILLION.
THEY ARE HAVING AN IMPACT IN
THOSE STATES.
>> THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE
HAS ALREADY SET ASIDE THE
FUNDING FOR ALL EIGHT BILLS.
>> THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS
REQUIRED IN THE LEGISLATION
WE'RE ABOUT TO VOTE ON HAS
ALREADY BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THAT
PARTICULAR PIECE OF LEGISLATION,
NOTHING ELSE.
>> BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF
REPUBLICANS SUPPORT THE ENTIRE
HOMELESS BILL PACKAGE, THERE'S A
DISCONNECT AS TO WHY THEY CAN'T
MOVE IT FORWARD.
>> JUST ONE BILL WON'T DO IT.
AND ONE DISCUSSION ON THE FLOOR
WON'T DO IT.
AND I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE,
WE CAN HAVE A FULL COURT PRESS
ON THIS ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS.
>>> SCOTT FITZGERALD SAYS
THERE'S A POSSIBILITY SOME OF
THE HOMELESS BILLS COULD REACH
THE SENATE FLOR NEXT MONTH.
>>> DEMOCRATS LAID OUT THEIR
IMPEACHMENT.
REPUBLICANS DEFENSE BEGINS OVER
THE COMING WEEKEND.
WISCONSIN U.S. SENATORS ARE
PREDICTLY DIVIDED -- PREDICTEDLY
DIVIDED ON THE PROCEEDINGS.
TAM EWE -- TAMMY BALDWIN, SAID
THEY MADE COMPELLING EVIDENCE
THAT THE PRESIDENT ABUSED HIS
POWER FOR PERSONAL POLITICAL
GAIN AND THEN OBSTRUCTED
CONGRESS.
THE PRESENTACE RAISES SERIOUS
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY THE
WHITE HOUSE HAS WITHHELD
CRITICAL DOCUMENTS AND PREVENTED
RELEVANT WITNESSES ABOUT
TESTIFYING ABOUT THEIR FIRSTHAND
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PRESIDENT'S
ACTIONS.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR RON JOHNSON
SAID, QUOTE, THE HOUSE WAS IN A
RUSH TO DO THIS IMPEACHMENT.
THEY DID FROM MY STANDPOINT A
PRETTY SLOPPY JOB.
THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO WHAT
THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IN A MORE
THOROUGH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
YOU CAN FOLLOW LIVE COVERAGE OF
THE TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL THIS
WEEKEND ONLINE WITH THE NEWS