ESSENTIALS.
>> THAT WAS HEALTH
SECRETARY-DESIGNEE ANDREA PALM.
WE'RE JOINED NOW BY GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS FOR THE LATEST ON THE
PANDEMIC'S GRIP ON WISCONSIN.
GOVERNOR EVERS, THANKS VERY MUCH
FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU, FRED REEK CAVMENT
>> FREDERICA.
>> WHAT WORDS DO YOU HAVE FOR
WISCONSIN AS WE EXPERIENCE A
RECORD SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES?
>> YEAH.
THE WORD ARE WE ARE NOT IN THE
BEST PLACE POSSIBLE, FRANKLY.
AS IT RELATES TO COVID-19.
WE'RE HAVING SOME SURGES AROUND
THE STATE.
AND THE TIME IS NOW.
THE TIME IS NOW.
YOU KNOW, SCHOOL DISTRICTS
MAKING PLANS FOR THIS FALL.
LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE
HAPPENING IN THE STATE.
AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO DRIVE
DOWN THOSE NUMBERS IS GOING TO
BE -- PAY OFF AND IT'S ABOUT
REAL SIMPLE STUFF.
IT'S ABOUT MASKS.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT
WE'RE SOCIALLY DISTANT.
AVOID PLACES WHERE YOU'RE GOING
TO BE CRAMMED INTO A SMALL PLACE
WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
A LOT OF THEM DON'T HAVE MASKS.
THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A REAL GOOD
THING TO DO.
SO IT'S THE SIMPLE STUFF THAT
WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE
TO BE CAREFUL AT THIS POINT IN
TIME.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION.
>> HOW READY ARE YOU TO TRY TO
IMPOSE A STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE
AS OTHER STATES HAVE NOW DONE?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY THE
REPUBLICANS AND THEIR ALLIES ON
THE SUPREME COURT DID WHAT THEY
DID, AND THE ABILITY FOR ME TO
DO THAT IS QUESTIONABLE.
SO WE CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THAT,
BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, YOU
KNOW, THE REPUBLICANS, AT LEAST
PUBLICLY, HAVE SAID THEY HAVE NO
INTEREST IN THIS.
I KNOW JUST THIS LAST WEEK, THE
SENATE LEADER WAS TALKING THAT
UNDER NO WAY THAT WE'D DO THIS.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE GET -- WE GET THE
WORD OUT.
AND CERTAINLY THE CORPORATE
WORLD HAS STEPPED UP, WITH LOTS
OF RETAILING PLACES SAYING, HEY,
WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AND WE'RE
ENCOURAGING THE PEOPLE THAT GOT
MONEY FROM WEDC TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THAT
ANGLE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WHETHER WE DID AN ORDER OR NOT
AND WHETHER THAT ORDER WOULD BE
FOUND TO BE VALID OR NOT, IT'S
UP TO INDIVIDUALS TO DO THIS.
AND INDIVIDUALS REALLY NEED TO
STEP UP.
>> WE KNOW THAT MADISON AND
MILWAUKEE AND POTENTIALLY OTHER
DISTRICTS WILL START THE SCHOOL
YEAR VIRTUALLY.
HOW SAFE DO YOU THINK IT IS TO
REOPEN SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES?
>> WELL, IN CERTAIN PLACES, I
CONSIDER THEM OPEN IF THEY'RE
OFFERING INSTRUCTION.
AND SO VIRTUAL OPENING IS OKAY
AS LONG AS THERE'S A PATHWAY
TOWARDS IN-PERSON.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT PATHWAY
THERE.
AND THERE WILL BE PLACES IN THE
STATE THAT -- IN THE K-12 WORLD
THAT IT'S GOING TO BE JUST FINE.
SO I KNOW IT'S INDIVIDUAL
DECISION-MAKING, BUT AT THIS
POINT IN TIME, I THINK THAT OUR
SCHOOLS AND OUR UNIVERSITIES ARE
DOING A GOOD JOB THINKING
THROUGH THIS.
>> WE LEARNED TODAY THE
POTAWATOMI CASINO WILL
PERMANENTLY LAY OFF MORE THAN
1,000 EMPLOYEES.
THERE ARE WORRIES ABOUT THE
EXTRA UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND
UTILITY SHUT-OFFS AND EVICTIONS.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
>> WE HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT
THING.
THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE
DESERVING OF UNEMPLOYMENT FUNDS
ARE NOT GETTING THEM, THAT'S
JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD
TO DO THAT.
IN ADDITION, WE'RE WORKING WITH
THE PSC AND OTHERS TO MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW,
HAVING THEIR ELECTRICITY AND
UTILITIES TURNED OFF HAVE
OPTIONS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH
THAT.
SO ABSOLUTELY.
THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART
OF THIS.
IT'S THE HUMAN, FRANKLY, CARNAGE
IN SOME RESPECTS THAT THIS VIRUS
HAD LAID AT OUR DOORSTEP.
WE HAVE TO RESPOND AND RESPOND
APPROPRIATELY.
>> YOU MET OVER THIS WEEK WITH
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE.
WHAT DID HE TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT
KIND OF FINANCIAL HELP MIGHT BE
COMING TO STATES AND WHEN?
>> WELL, HE INDICATED THAT THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WHEN THEY
GO THROUGH THE NEXT GO-AROUND OF
CARES FUNDING, WOULD PROVIDE --
OR THEY'RE INTERESTED IN
PROVIDING SOME MONEY FOR
EDUCATION, TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO WHAT
THEY NEED TO OPEN SAFELY.
AND THAT'S GREAT.
THAT'S REEFLLY REALLY GOOD NEWS.
BUT, FRANKLY, WE ALSO NEED MONEY
FOR THE STATE AND THE COUNTIES
AND THE MUNICIPALITIES, TOO.
THE REVENUE LOSS HAS BEEN
SIGNIFICANT, AND IF THAT MONEY
ISN'T PROVIDED TUESDAY, IT'S
GOING TO HURT SCHOOL DISTRICTS,
IT'S GOING TO HURT
MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
THEM TO STEP UP.
AND I THINK SOMETHING WILL
HAPPEN, BUT IT'S -- YOU KNOW,
IT'S PART OF THE WASHINGTON
POLITICS.
WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN?
>> GOVERNOR EVERS, WE NEED TO
LEAVE IT THERE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US