RUNS FROM APRIL 24 UNTIL MAY 26
AND DOES ALLOW FOR CURBSIDE
PICKUP AT LIBRARIES AND GOLF
COURSES CAN REOPEN WITH NEW
RESTRICTIONS.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS THIS WEEK OUTLINED
THE CRITERIA THAT MUST BE MET
BEFORE SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES
CAN REOPEN AND SHOWED HIS
FRUSTRATION WITH REPUBLICANS WHO
LOOK TO SETTLE THE MATTER IN
COURT.
GOVERNOR EVERS HAS AGREED TO
JOIN US EACH WEEK, AND EARLIER I
SPOKE WITH THE GOVERNOR.
GOVERNOR, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU MUCH.
GOOD TO BE BACK.
>> WELL, SO PROTESTS AND
LAWSUITS OVER THE EXTENSION OF
THE "SAFER AT HOME" ORDER.
IN REPORTING ON THE REPUBLICAN
SUIT BROUGHT TO THE SUPREME
COURT, I DESCRIBED YOU AS BEING
LIVID.
WHAT MAKES YOU SO ANGRY ABOUT
THEM SEEKING THE REMEDY TO
BLOCKING THIS ORDER IN COURT?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT
FRUSTRATES ME IS THAT WE MADE A
DECISION TO FOLLOW THE WHITE
HOUSE AND THE CDC'S KIND OF
PROCESS TO DETERMINE WHEN WE'RE
READY TO OPEN UP PARTS OF OUR
ECONOMY.
SO WE'RE FOLLOWING A DONALD
TRUMP MODEL HERE.
AND SO IF THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE
ANNOYED ABOUT, THEN THEY NEED TO
GO TALK TO DONALD TRUMP.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IT'S A
CONTINUED ATTACK ON THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
THEY STARTED IT WITH THE LAME
DUCK SESSION, AND THEY CONTINUE
TO THIS DATE.
AND IT WOULD BE JUST A MINOR
IRRITANT IF -- THIS WILL DELAY
THINGS, AND THIS WILL DELAY
THINGS IN A WAY THAT I BELIEVE
ACTUALLY COSTS LIVES AND ALSO
INCREASE THE POSSIBILITY OF US,
YOU KNOW, EVEN FURTHERING DOWN
THE ROAD OUR OPPORTUNITY AS A
STATE TO OPEN UP ECONOMICALLY.
IT'S NOT NECESSARY.
IT'S A POLITICAL POWER GRAB,
PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
AND, FRANKLY, WE GOT A LOT OF
STUFF ON OUR PLATE NOW.
WE DON'T NEED POLITICAL POWER
GRAB TO BE INSERTED INTO THE
MIDDLE OF IT.
>> YOU SAID THAT YOU BELIEVE THE
SUPREME COURT WILL LISTEN TO
SCIENCE TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, BUT
WHAT IF THEY AGREE WITH THE
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE?
WHAT THEN?
>> WELL, I GUESS IT GOES THROUGH
SOME -- IT'S THEIR BALL GAME
THEN.
THEY HAVE -- THEY WILL HAVE THE
ABILITY TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO
DO.
AND IT WILL ALL BE DONE THROUGH
ADMINISTRATIVE RULE-MAKING AND,
FRANKLY, IT'S BEEN MY
OBSERVATION IN THE PAST THAT
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENS IN A DAY.
IT HAPPENS IN WEEKS AND
SOMETIMES MONTHS, YOU KNOW, IN
SOME CASES HALF A YEAR.
SO TO DO THIS IN THAT FASHION
JUST -- IT DOESN'T SPEED UP
ANYTHING AND IT CREATES HAVOC
AND I JUST -- I JUST THINK THE
-- WE ARE ON --
WE ARE IN A GOOD PLACE.
WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS
STATE, NOT BATTLE THIS OUT
IN THE SUPREME COURT.
>> NOW, WISCONSIN IS NOT ALONE,
BUT OUR ECONOMY IS CRATERING
WITH LOST BUSINESS AND LOST
JOBS.
STATE COFFERS COULD BE GUTTED.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE
BELEAGUERED PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN
AS NEW COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS
CONTINUE?
>> WELL, WE HAVE A PLAN.
THE PLAN IS QUITE SIMPLE.
IT HAS THE THREE CRITERIA WHERE
WE'RE GOING TO BE JUDGING
WHETHER WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
WE HAVE TO DO TESTING, CONTACT
TRACING.
ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE TO BE IN
PLACE.
THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN HAVE
SACRIFICED A BUNCH, AND I
APPRECIATE THAT.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE
OF THIS VIRUS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME WHEN WE
HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO OPEN THE
DOOR A LITTLE BIT IN CERTAIN
AREAS TO ALLOW BUSINESSES TO
EXPAND AND BRING BACK WORKERS,
WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
IF THAT HAPPENS BEFORE MAY 26,
LET IT HAPPEN.
WE ARE WILLING TO DO THAT.
BUT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE
VIRUS.
WE HAVE TO GET TO A POINT WHERE
WE'RE BOXING IN THE VIRUS, NOT
BOXING IN PEOPLE.
>> NOW, THIS IS YOUR BADGER
BOUNCE BACK PLAN TO SLOWLY
REOPENING, AND IT INCLUDES
SEEING A 14-DAY DECLINE IN
POSITIVE CASES, BEING ABLE TO
TEST 85,000 PEOPLE A WEEK AND
DEPLOYING 1,000 CONTACT TRACERS.
HOW FAR ARE WE OR HOW CLOSE ARE
WE TO MEETING THESE METRICS?
>> WELL, THE METRICS AROUND THE
NUMBER OF TESTS, WE'RE GETTING
CLOSE.
I THINK TODAY WE HAD OVER 10,000
TESTS.
SO IT'S SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, WE'RE
AT 70,000.
WE KNOW WE CAN INCREASE THAT.
WE'RE ASKING OUR PHYSICIANS AND
OTHER CARE PROVIDERS TO TEST
PEOPLE THAT ARE SHOWING
SYMPTOMS.
I THINK THE LAB CAPACITY IS
OVERALL ACROSS THE STATE IN
PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
PERSONAL EQUIPMENT IS NOT SO
GOOD, ALTHOUGH WE'RE GOING TO
RECEIVE A LARGE SHIPMENT FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO THOSE PIECES WE'RE IN A
PRETTY GOOD PLACE.
BUT NOW WE'VE HAD AN OUTBREAK IN
GREEN BAY WITH A MEAT-PACKING
PLANT.
I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS, BUT
I GUESS IT HAS TO DO WITH NOT
HAVING THE APPROPRIATE THINGS IN
PLACE THERE.
THAT WILL SET BACK THAT PART OF
THE STATE, SIMPLE AS THAT.
>> WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE AND
REACTION TO THAT, IF IN FACT
THOSE PLANTS HAVE NOT BEEN
PRACTICING SAFETY MEASURES?
>> WELL, SHAME ON THEM.
AND SHAME ON THEIR INSURERS FOR
INSURING THEM.
WE HAVE A PANDEMIC.
AND ONE OF THE CORE PIECES OF
THAT PANDEMIC IS TO HAVE
PHYSICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN
PEOPLE.
AND IF -- I DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT
AND IF THAT IN DISTANCES HAS
CAUSED THIS, THEN THAT'S A
PROBLEM AND WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK
AT IT.
CLEARLY WE'RE WORKING WITH THE
LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS TO SEE
WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING NEXT.
WE'RE SPENDING MOST OF OUR TIME,
FRANKLY, TESTING AND TRACING THE
FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN INFECTED SO
THAT WE CAN KEEP THINGS TO A
MINIMUM.
>> ASIDE FROM THAT CLUSTER OF
POSITIVE CASES IN THAT AREA,
WHAT ABOUT THE ARGUMENT THAT NOT
ALL PLACES ARE HIT AS HARD AS
CITIES AND THAT THOSE LOCALITIES
SHOULD BE ABLE TO REOPEN, EVEN
NOW?
>> YEAH.
AND WE LOOK AT THAT REGULARLY.
AND THERE'S A SWATH OF COUNTIES
IN THE NORTHERN PART OF OUR
STATE THAT HAVE VERY SMALL
NUMBERS.
ACTUALLY, A COUPLE HAVE ZERO.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S NO
VIRUS IN THAT COUNTY.
CLEARLY, ONLY -- IT TAKES A TEST
TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND TAKES
SYMPTOMS TO MAKE A TEST HAPPEN,
AND MANY PEOPLE ARE
ASYMPTOMATIC, SO THEY'RE NEVER
GOING TO BE TESTED.
THERE'S VIRUS ALL ACROSS THE
STATE.
BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IF
THERE'S THINGS WE CAN DO
INDIVIDUALLY OR REGIONALLY,
WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS, THANKS VERY
MUCH.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS, FREDERICA.