ELECTION, GOVERNOR TONY EVERS
ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
SUSPENDING IN-PERSON VOTING, BUT
HIS MOVE FAILED IN THE COURTS.
WHY DID HE WAIT?
WHAT ARE HIS THOUGHTS AS
WISCONSIN AWAITS ELECTION
RETURNS ON MONDAY?
WE ASK HIM THESE QUESTIONS AND
MORE AS COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE
TO MOUNT.
HE HAS AGREED TO JOIN US EACH
FRIDAY WITH THE LATEST UPDATES
ON WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HE JOINS
US NOW FROM THE CAPITOL.
>> GOVERNOR, THANK VERY MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
>> WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE FOR
NOVEMBER ELECTIONS GIVEN
CONCERNS OVER POLLING PLACES AND
BALLOTS IN THE SPRING ELECTION?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY I THINK WITH
A MILLION PEOPLE VOTING BY MAIL,
OVER A MILLION PEOPLE VOTING BY
MAIL, THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE
TO CONSIDER.
NOW, DO I THINK THE LEGISLATORS
ARE GOING TO BE IN A POSITION OF
DOING A MAIL-IN ONLY?
I THINK THAT'S UNLIKELY.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS
WE'VE HAD OVER A MILLION PEOPLE
VOTING IN THIS PRIMARY ELECTION,
WHICH IS A LOW TURNOUT PRIMARY,
AND I'M GOING TO KEEP PUSHING
PEOPLE TO TAKE THAT INTO
NOVEMBER, THAT IT IS EASIER AND
MORE EFFECTIVE AND IT CAN BE
DONE.
AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO BE, YOU
KNOW, BETTER ORGANIZED AHEAD OF
TIME TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
BUT I THINK PEOPLE HAVE VOTED
WITH THEIR FEET AND THEY'VE
INDICATED THAT THEY PERSONALLY
WANT TO DO THIS.
>> WHAT ABOUT FOR THE MAY DATE
IN THE 7TH CONGRESSIONAL?
WILL YOU CALL TO DELAY THAT?
>> WELL, WE'RE STILL -- THAT'S
UNDER CONSIDERATION.
WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE
SCIENCE.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF ME
SAYING THAT.
BUT IF INDEED WE FEEL THAT IT
WILL ENDANGER PEOPLE
HEALTH-WISE, THEN WE WILL LOOK
AT A CHANGE.
BUT WE'RE NOT AT THAT POINT NOW.
>> WELL, WHEN YOU SAW IMAGES OF
THOSE LONG LINES IN MILWAUKEE
AND ELSEWHERE, WHAT DID YOU
THINK?
>> I THINK -- I THOUGHT THAT
THIS IS A REASON I ORDERED THIS
ELECTION TO BE PUSHED BACK AND
WHY I WORKED HARD OVER SEVERAL
WEEKS TO GET TO A DIFFERENT
PLACE WITH LEGISLATIVE LEADERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T HAVE TO
HAPPEN.
IT DID HAPPEN.
AND SO IT WAS FORCING PEOPLE TO
DECIDE WHETHER TO VOTE OR
WHETHER TO BE UNSAFE.
AND IT WAS JUST -- MADE PEOPLE
HAVE A -- FORCED THEM INTO
MAKING CHOICES LIKE THAT.
I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS FAIR,
BUT THE COURT MADE THE RULING
AND THAT WAS THAT.
>> WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO
TRY TO ORDER A DELAY IN
IN-PERSON VOTING?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IF I HAD
DONE THAT ORDER TWO WEEKS
EARLIER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE
SAME RESULT.
THE SUPREME COURT MADE IT VERY
CLEAR.
BUT I FELT THAT I HAD TO GIVE
THE LEGISLATURE -- THEY HAVE A
ROLE IN THIS, THAT THEY HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT CHANGING
IT IN SOME WAY, AND WE OBVIOUSLY
GOT NO PLACE WITH THAT.
AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY I
KNEW I HAD TO DO THAT ORDER.
>> WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO
ABSENTEE BALLOT PROBLEMS THAT
PREVENTED PEOPLE FROM GETTING
ONE OR A CLERK FROM RECEIVING A
COMPLETED BALLOT?
>> THAT'S JUST IT.
BEFORE I EVEN THINK ABOUT WHAT I
SHOULD BE SAYING ABOUT THAT, I
WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED.
AND WE ARE GOING TO FIND OUT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EVEN -- I
DON'T EVEN FRANKLY KNOW WHETHER
IT'S BALLOTS THAT HAVE NEVER
BEEN DELIVERED TO VOTERS OR
VOTERS SENDING BALLOTS TO THEIR
MUNICIPALITY.
THAT IS AN UNKNOWN YET.
AND SO WE HAVE TO SORT THROUGH
THAT.
BUT CERTAINLY THAT ISN'T THE WAY
WE WANT IT TO WORK NO MATTER
WHICH WAY IT'S DONE.
>> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO
MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VOTE
BECAUSE OF ALL THESE ISSUES?
>> WELL, IT IS COMPLEX TIMES AND
IT WILL BE LITIGATED, I AM SURE.
AND CERTAINLY THE FEDERAL COURT
ACTIVITY CONTRIBUTED TO THAT
MIGHTILY IN THAT WE HAD
DIFFERENT TIMES AND DATES AND
EXPECTATIONS AT ONE TIME, AND
THEN AT THE LAST MINUTE THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT MADE THEIR
DECISION.
AND SO THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO
BE SOME RECKONING WHAT HAPPENED
THERE, TOO.
BUT CLEARLY I'M SURE THERE ARE
PEOPLE WHO FEEL DISENFRANCHISED
BY THIS IN VERY REAL WAYS AND I
ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL HAVE COURT
DECISIONS ON THIS FOR SOME TIME.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
WILL STEP UP CONTACT TRACING TO,
QUOTE, BETTER TRACK WISCONSIN
RESIDENTS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN
EXPOSED TO COVID-19 DURING
TUESDAY'S ELECTION.
WHAT WILL HEALTH OFFICIALS DO
WITH THAT INFORMATION?
>> YEAH.
THE CONTACT TRACING IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT, AN IMPORTANT
TOOL FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PEOPLE
ANYWAY.
BUT WE'LL BE -- I THINK THERE
WILL BE 100 PEOPLE ON THE GROUND
IN THE MILWAUKEE AREA AND OTHER
AREAS OF THE STATE, I BELIEVE,
TO ASK QUESTIONS OF -- ASK
QUESTIONS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE --
WITHIN THE NEXT 14 DAYS OR SO,
YOU KNOW, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN
THIS HAPPENED, WHAT WERE YOU
WITH, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO ZERO IT
INTO WHERE THAT HAPPENED AND WAS
IT A RESULT OF VOTING OR NOT.
OR AT LEAST CERTAINLY A GOOD
ESTIMATE, GUESSTIMATE.
BUT THE CONTRACT TRACING IS
REALLY IMPORTANT, NOT JUST FOR
THIS ELECTION BUT FOR OTHER
THINGS GOING FORWARD.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT STUFF IN
PLACE BECAUSE ONCE WE GET TO A
POINT WHERE WE'RE BACK TO NORMAL
AND THINGS ARE OPERATING, WE
STILL HAVE TO BE PROTECTIVE OF
IT.
PUBLIC HEALTH IS GOING TO LOOK A
LOT DIFFERENT IN THE FUTURE THAN
IT DOES RIGHT NOW.
>> WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW WITH
THIS OUTBREAK?
HAVE THE SAFER AT HOME ORDERS
YET FLATTENED THE CURVE?
>> NOT YET, BUT WE BELIEVE IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH WORSE
SITUATION IF WE HADN'T HAD THE
SAFER AT HOME ORDER.
I THINK IT'S BEEN REALLY
IMPORTANT AND AT THE END OF THE
DAY IT'S GOING TO BE VERY
EFFECTIVE.
BUT WE ARE NOT YET AT THE POINT
WHERE THAT CURVE IS FLATTENED,
AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO
MONITOR THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS
AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD
BE DOING GOING FORWARD.
BUT IT IS THE RIGHT THING.
PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN, FRANKLY,
HAVE RESPONDED QUITE WELL.
I KNOW RESTRICTIONS AREN'T
EVERYBODY'S TOP OF THEIR LIST,
BUT WE NEED TO DO THIS.
>> DO YOU EXPECT TO EXTEND YOUR
STAY AT HOME ORDER PAST
APRIL 24?
SOME AT THIS POINT SEEM TO BE
CALLING FOR IT TO BE LIFTED EVEN
AHEAD OF THAT.
>> YEAH.
THAT'S -- I THINK WE NEED TO
REALLY THINK HARD ABOUT THOSE
KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE LAST THING, WHETHER YOU'RE A
BUSINESS OWNER OR SOMEBODY
THAT'S UNEMPLOYED, THERE'S LOTS
OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SUFFERING BY
THIS.
AND I'D SUGGEST THE ENTIRE STATE
IS, IN RESPECT.
BUT THE LAST THING WE WANT IS TO
GO THROUGH ALL THIS WORK AND DO
SOMETHING TOO SOON AND SUDDENLY
HAVE A RECURRENCE AND THEN YOU
AND I WILL BE SITTING HERE A
YEAR FROM NOW TALKING ABOUT THE
SAME THING.
I'M GLAD TO COME BACK AND TALK
ABOUT OTHER THINGS A YEAR FROM
NOW.
BUT THE LAST THING I WANT TO BE
IS TALKING ABOUT THIS A YEAR
FROM NOW.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS
VERY CAREFUL.
>> WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT HOW
COVID-19 IS DISPROPORTIONATELY
AFFECTING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
POPULATION?
>> YEAH.
IT'S A CRISIS WITHIN A CRISIS.
THE CONTACT TRACING WE DO AROUND
THE CONTENTION -- ELECTION,
EXCUSE ME, IS REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR ALL PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY
WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE
OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY OUR
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS, ARE BEING
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
THIS.
AND SO THAT CONTACT TRACING IS
REALLY IMPORTANT THERE, TOO, SO
THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED
TO DO GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> LATE THIS WEEK, YOU ANNOUNCED
THAT STATE FAIR PARK WILL BE
TURNED INTO AN ALTERNATIVE CARE
FACILITY.
WHY IS THAT NEEDED AT THIS TIME?
>> WELL, WE ANTICIPATE A SURGE
IN PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE VIRUS
AND ARE NEEDING HOSPITAL BEDS,
AND SO THIS IS TO GET US TO THE
POINT WHERE WE HAVE -- WE WILL
ALWAYS HAVE MORE HOSPITAL BEDS
THAN WE HAVE PEOPLE NEEDING
THOSE BEDS.
IF WE EVER GET THAT FLIPPED, IT
WILL BE NEW YORK AND WE WILL BE
IN A BAD PLACE.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH ARMY CORPS
OF ENGINEERS AND NATIONAL GUARD
AND FEMA TO CREATE THIS AT THE
WISCONSIN STATE FAIR PARK.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE
KEEP AHEAD OF THAT CURVE.
>> WHAT KIND OF CAPACITY WILL
THAT FACILITY HAVE?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S STILL
BEING DECIDED, BUT WE ARE IN THE
PROCESS OF USING THE EXPOSITION
HALL, WHICH IS A LARGE FACILITY
THERE.
SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO GIVE US
LOTS OF OPTIONS, BUT THE EXACT
NUMBER OF BEDS YET ARE NOT -- TO
MY KNOWLEDGE, IS NOT YET
DETERMINED.
>> YOU'VE ALSO JUST CLOSED 40
STATE PARKS.
WHY DID YOU TAKE THAT ACTION?
>> THAT HURT.
THAT HURT MIGHTILY.
AS ONE THAT A COUPLE TIMES HAVE
UTILIZED THE STATE PARKS IN THIS
TRAUMATIC TIME.
IT JUST BECAME TOO MUCH OF AN
ISSUE OF PEOPLE -- FIRST OF ALL,
THERE'S BAD ACTORS, VANDALISM,
THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT WEREN'T APPROPRIATELY
DISTANCING THEMSELVES, AND IT
BECAME TOO MUCH OF A BURDEN TO
KEEP IT OPEN AND, UNFORTUNATELY,
WE HAD TO CLOSE DOWN MOST OF THE
SYSTEM.
>> HAS YOUR DEPARTMENT OF
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BEEN ABLE
TO ADEQUATELY RESPOND TO THE
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS?
>> WELL, WE'RE SURE WORKING HARD
AT IT.
WE'VE ADDED MORE PEOPLE.
WE'VE ADDED MORE TECHNOLOGY.
WE ARE HOPING THAT IN THIS
BUDGET DELIBERATIONS WITH THE
LEGISLATURE WE CAN GET SOME
RESOURCES FOR MORE PEOPLE.
WE MOVED PEOPLE AROUND IN ORDER
TO DO THIS.
BUT PEOPLE ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE
-- AND THIS IS NO EXCUSE, BUT
ONCE PEOPLE ARE DONE TAKING THAT
INPUT FROM SOMEBODY ON THE PHONE
OR ONLINE, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO
PROCESS ALL THAT INFORMATION
INTO THE SYSTEM SO THAT THEY GET
THEIR CHECKS.
SO IT'S A 24-HOUR-A-DAY EVENT.
WE JUST NEED MORE PEOPLE TO MAKE
IT HAPPEN.
WELL OVER 90% OF PEOPLE ARE
COMPLETING THIS ONLINE.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH ON
THAT.
ARE WE SATISFIED WITH OUR
RESULTS YET?
NO.
BUT I THINK WE WILL BE IN A
BETTER PLACE.
>> WHEN CAN PEOPLE EXPECT THOSE
ENHANCED BENEFITS THAT ARE PART
OF THE FEDERAL STIMULUS PACKAGE?
>> WELL, WE'RE STILL RECEIVING
INFORMATION FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT ON THAT.
I HEARD IT WAS GOING TO BE VERY,
VERY SOON.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT WHICH
FRANKLY ISN'T A DEPARTMENT THAT
HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH PROVIDING
GUIDANCE MATERIALS FOR
SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, THEY WON'T
BE GETTING THEIR FINAL GUIDANCE
OUT UNTIL THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT MONEY THAT
WILL BE GOING -- THE ADDITIONAL
MONEY THAT WILL BE GOING TO
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WILL BE
THERE VERY SOON.
>> MEANWHILE, AS YOU WELL KNOW,
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ARE WORKING
ON THEIR OWN COVID-19 RESPONSE
PACKAGE AND ARE SET TO TAKE THAT
UP NEXT WEEK.
HOW WELL DOES THAT PACKAGE
DOVETAIL WITH YOUR OWN
PROPOSALS?
>> WELL, WE'RE WAITING TO SEE.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP AND I KNOW
THE DEMOCRATS AND THE
LEGISLATURE HAVE.
BUT UNTIL I GET A CHANCE TO SEE
IT, IT'S HARD TO REACT TO.
I KNOW AT ONE POINT IN TIME --
AND I'M STILL VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT IT, AND TO ME IT'S A
POISON PILL TO HAVE -- GIVE SO
MUCH AUTHORITY -- ONE OF THEIR
PROPOSALS WAS TO GIVE SO MUCH
AUTHORITY TO THE JOINT FINANCE
COMMITTEE.
AND THE ESSENCE OF THAT IS A
SMALL GROUP OF FOLKS WOULD BE
ABLE TO GUT THE BUDGET AND MAKE
CUTS ON THEIR OWN VOLITION,
WHICH COMPLETELY IS NOT
ACCEPTABLE TO ME.
SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT PIECE
IS NOT IN THE LEGISLATION
BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO VETO
SOME VERY IMPORTANT THINGS
BECAUSE OF THAT.
>> WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU
TO BE IN ANY KIND OF PACKAGE
LIKE THAT?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY WE HAVE --
THE ONE WEEK OF -- THAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT -- AND
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IS AN
EXAMPLE.
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAID WE WON'T
DELAY IT, WON'T BE THAT ONE-WEEK
WAITING PERIOD.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE STATE
GOVERNMENT SAY THE SAME AND ONLY
OUR LEGISLATURE CAN MAKE THAT
HAPPEN THROUGH A BILL.
AND THIS HAS TO BE A PART OF IT.
THAT'S A HUGE THING.
THAT'S IMPACTING ALL SORTS OF
PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE NEED AS
RELATES TO MAKING SURE THAT OUR
LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS AND
COUNTY HEALTH AGENCIES ARE IN A
GOOD PLACE SO THAT THEY CAN
CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORK, BUT
ALSO GOOD WORK GOING FORWARD.
BUT ONE WEEK OF MAKING SURE THAT
PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT THAT
ADDITIONAL WEEK IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING FOR ME.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOVERNOR EVERS, WE LEAVE IT
THERE.
WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
TIME TODAY AND WE LOOK FORWARD
TO CHECKING IN WITH YOU EACH
FRIDAY AS THIS PROGRESSES AND,
AS YOU SAY, HOPEFULLY IN A YEAR
OR SO WE'LL BE ON TALKING WITH
YOU ABOUT OTHER MATTERS.
THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
>> DESPITE OBJECTIONS FROM THE