>> THANK YOU.
>> MANY PLACES ARE BACK TO
BUSINESS AS USUAL WITHOUT
RESTRICTIONS.
THE STATE SUPREME COURT DECISION
COMES TWO DAYS AFTER A NEW
DIRECTIVE FROM GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS TO TURN THE DIAL TO OPEN
WISCONSIN A BIT MORE.
UNDER THAT NEW ORDER EARLIER IN
THE WEEK, SMALL RETAIL
BUSINESSES COULD REOPEN WITH
RESTRICTIONS.
THE ORDER ALLOWED CUSTOMERS TO
VISIT PLACES LIKE STRIP MALLS
WITH DOORS THAT ENTER AND EXIT
DIRECTLY TO THE OUTSIDE,
ALLOWING FOR NO MORE THAN FIVE
PATRONS INSIDE AT ONE TIME.
A PATCHWORK OF COUNTIES AND
CITIES ACROSS THE STATE ARE
KEEPING THE "SAFER AT HOME"
GUIDELINES IN PLACE WHILE OTHERS
HAVE FULLY REOPENED.
WE TALK ABOUT THIS WEEK'S
DEVELOPMENT IN OUR WEEKLY
ONE-ON-ONE WITH TONY EVERS, WHO
JOINED US EARLIER.
AND, GOVERNOR, THANKS VERY MUCH
FOR DOING SO.
>> THANKS, FREDERICA.
>> WE LED INTO THIS TALKING
ABOUT HOW YOUR PHASED-IN
APPROACH WAS STARTING THIS WEEK,
WHEN THE SUPREME COURT SHELVED
YOUR PLAN.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE, FIRST, WHEN
YOU LEARNED OF THE DECISION, AND
THEN WHEN YOU READ IT?
>> WELL, IT WAS DISAPPOINTING,
YOU KNOW.
I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT FACTS AND
THE STATE STATUTES AND
PRECEDENCE MATTERED.
IT CERTAINLY DIDN'T IN THIS
CASE.
IT WAS JUST A WRONG-HEADED
DECISION.
AND SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE
IMPACT HAS BEEN IMMEDIATE.
THERE IS -- ESSENTIALLY THEY
FOUND IT TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL,
AND SO WE'VE MOVED INTO THE NEW
WORLD OF HAVING NO RULE OF THE
ROAD.
>> WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN
YOU SAW PEOPLE PORING INTO BARS
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE
DECISION?
>> I KNOW NOT ALL BARS AND ALL
BUSINESSES ARE THAT WAY, BUT
CERTAINLY TO HAVE THE TAVERN
LEAGUE GET OUT IN FRONT OF THIS
AND THEN HAVING MANY TOO PEOPLE
TOGETHER IN A SMALL PLACE,
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, NO MASKS,
IT'S INVITING THE VIRUS TO WALK
ON IN AND BE TRANSMITTED.
THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
>> IN THE FACE OF THAT, SEVERAL
LOCAL OR COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS IMPOSED THEIR OWN
SAFETY ORDERS IN PLACE OF THE
STATEWIDE PLAN.
BUT NOW SOME ARE STARTING TO
RESCIND THEM, WORRIED ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT IN FACT THEY'RE
LEGAL BECAUSE OF THAT COURT
RULING.
WHAT IN YOUR MIND DOES THIS SAY
ABOUT THIS LOCAL APPROACH?
>> WELL, THAT'S JUST IT.
IT CREATES GREAT CONFUSION,
FIRST OF ALL, AND -- DEPENDING
ON THE COUNTY YOU LIVE IN, AND
SO THAT'S THE MAIN CONCERN.
SOME OF THEM MAY WALK THEM BACK.
SOME OF THEM WON'T.
I THINK IT'S LESS AROUND -- LESS
AROUND THE LEGALITY OF IT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S A
DIFFERENT SECTION OF THE LAW.
SO I THINK THEY HAVE THE ABILITY
TO DO IT.
BUT THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY'RE CONSISTENT WITH THEIR
NEIGHBORS, AND I GUESS THAT'S A
RATIONAL THING TO DO.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
HAVING THIS BEING DONE LOCALLY
CREATES A LOT OF CONFUSION AND,
FRANKLY, I THINK IT DOESN'T DO
MUCH FOR PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE.
>> YOU'RE NOW MEETING WITH
SPEAKER VOS, MAJORITY LEADER
FITZGERALD TO WORK UP
ADMINISTRATIVE RULES TO MANAGE
THE PANDEMIC, AND YOUR
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WROTE A
SCOPE STATEMENT OUTLINING THOSE
RULES.
I READ THEM.
THEY LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE "SAFER
AT HOME" AND BADGER BOUNCE BACK
UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME.
WHY DO YOU THINK THOSE ARE GOING
TO FLY?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, A SCOPE
STATEMENT IS A VERY BROAD
STATEMENT OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
BE LOOKING AT.
AND, AS YOU SEE, THERE'S LOTS OF
"MAYS" IN THAT STATEMENT.
AND SO, YES, IT GIVES US A
PARAMETER.
WHAT MATTERS IS THE RULE ITSELF.
BUT ALSO, FREDERICA, TO BE
HONEST WITH YOU, THIS ISN'T
GOING TO BE ANY GRAND BARGAIN
AMONG THE DEMOCRATS AND THE
REPUBLICANS BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY
WE WERE TOLD BY THE LEADERSHIP
THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO
ACCEPT ANYTHING THAT CREATES ANY
NEW RESTRICTIONS OR NEW
PARAMETERS AROUND WHAT'S
HAPPENING NOW.
IN FACT, THEY WERE VERY HAPPY
WITH WHAT EXISTS.
>> IN FACT, SHE'S THE CO-CHAIR
OF THE RULES COMMITTEE THAT MUST
VOTE ON AND CAN VETO ANY RULES.
SENATOR NASS SAID I CALL ON
GOVERNOR EVERS TO END THE SCOPE
STATEMENT AND END THIS NEEDLESS
CONFRONTATION.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> I'D SAY WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE
THE RULE.
THIS IS A SCOPE STATEMENT,
SENATOR NASS.
THIS ISN'T THE RULE.
THIS ISN'T SOME SORT OF PANACEA.
WE'VE ALREADY TOLD BY THE
LEADERSHIP WHAT'S GOING TO COME
OUT OF THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE
ANY KIND OF IMPINGEMENT ON WHAT
HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.
IN FACT, THEY'RE VERY HAPPY
ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, SHORTLY AFTER THE TURN
OF THE MONTH, MAY 1 OR 2, GET A
LEADER FROM SPEAKER VOS SAYING
THEY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO
SLOW, DELIBERATE, THOUGHTFUL WAY
OF OPENING THE ECONOMY, JUST
LIKE WE ARE.
BUT INTERVENING HAS BEEN THIS
SUPREME COURT RACE -- OR NOT
RACE, BUT THE DECISION.
SO IT IS WHAT IT IS.
IT EXISTS, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE
-- WE'RE HOPEFUL PEOPLE WILL
STILL STAY HOME AND DO THE TESTS
AND TRACINGS AND ALL THE THINGS
THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
>> GOVERNOR TONY EVERS, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
WE WILL BE WATCHING THESE
DEVELOPMENTS.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, FREDERICA.