BLAKE NOT ONLY SET OFF A STORM
OF PROTESTS FOR RACIAL JUSTICE,
IT WAS THE SPARK THAT LED
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS TO ORDER A
SPECIAL SESSION OF THE
LEGISLATURE TO TAKE UP HIS
PROPOSALS ON POLICE REFORM.
HE CALLED THE SESSION TO ACT ON
A SLATE OF REFORM, INCLUDING A
BAN ON THE USE OF POLICE
CHOKEHOLDS, ELIMINATING THE USE
OF POLICE NO-KNOCK WARRANTS AND
THE CREATION OF STATEWIDE USE OF
FORCE STANDARDS.
THE SESSION WAS GAVELED IN BY
REPUBLICAN MAJORITIES IN BOTH
HOUSES ON MONDAY, BUT IN A
SKELETAL SESSION WHICH TOOK UP
NO DEBATE AND DELAYED ACTION.
THURSDAY REPUBLICAN LEADERS
EXTENDED THE SESSION INTO NEXT
WEEK.
LATER IN THE PROGRAM WE WILL
TALK WITH ASSEMBLY MAJORITY
LEADER JIM STEINEKE.
JOINING US NOW IS GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS.
>> BEFORE WE GET TO PROPOSALS
FOR POLICE REFORM, PRESIDENT
TRUMP SAYS HE ENDED THE VIOLENCE
IN KENOSHA.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> WELL, I THINK THE PEOPLE OF
KENOSHA HAD A ROLE IN THAT.
I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT SERVE IN
LAW ENFORCEMENT HAD A ROLE IN
THAT.
FRANKLY, OUR NATIONAL GUARD.
I KNOW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
TRYING TO CLAIM THAT HE DID
THAT, BUT FRANKLY POSITIONING
THE NATIONAL GUARD IS A STATE
ISSUE.
IT'S NOT A NATIONAL ISSUE.
IT'S NEVER BEEN A NATIONAL
ISSUE.
EVERYTHING THE CITY OF KENOSHA
AND THE COUNTY OF KENOSHA ASKED
OF ME, WE DID, AND THAT INCLUDED
FROM 3:00 A.M. ON MONDAY MORNING
WE STARTED MOVING NATIONAL GUARD
MEMBERS INTO KENOSHA AND DOUBLED
THAT NUMBER EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE EVENTUALLY REACHED OUT TO
OTHER STATES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS
WHO'S TAKING CREDIT, I THINK I
WOULD SAY CERTAINLY THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND NATIONAL GUARD,
BUT ALSO THE PEACEFUL PROTESTORS
OF KENOSHA AND, FRANKLY, THE
PARENTS OF THE GENTLEMAN THAT
WAS SHOT.
I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE CALLING OUT
FOR PEACE AND THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT HAPPENED.
I DON'T -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE
PRESIDENT'S ROLE PLAYED AT ALL.
>> ARE SOME OF THOSE NATIONAL
GUARD TROOPS STANDING DOWN
TODAY?
>> YES.
WE HAVE SENT BACK THE
OUT-OF-STATE MEMBERS AND HAVE
OUR MEMBERS -- WE STILL HAVE
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND THERE, BUT
WE DID STAND SOME DOWN.
>> SO YOU ASKED PRESIDENT TRUMP
NOT TO COME.
DO YOU THINK IN THE END HE DID
INFLAME TENSIONS?
>> WELL, I DON'T THINK HE
HELPED.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU -- FIRST OF
ALL, PEOPLE THERE WANT TO HEAL
AND THAT'S A REAL IMPORTANT
THING.
AND WHEN YOU'RE THERE AS A CHIEF
-- CHIEF PERSON OF THE UNITED
STATES, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES
TO HEALTH CARE, IN A ROOM WITH
PEOPLE WHERE NO ONE'S WEARING A
MASK, THAT SENDS A BAD MESSAGE.
I WOULD SAY THAT DOESN'T HELP
PEOPLE HEAL, WHEN YOU'RE
ABSOLUTELY NOT DOING WHAT YOU
SHOULD BE DOING.
ADDITIONALLY, HE WAS -- HE WAS
MAKING SOME STATEMENTS AROUND
THE SHOOTING OF THE GENTLEMAN
AND TALKED ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF
INSTEAD OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS
SHOT, JACOB WAS SHOT SEVEN TIMES
IN THE BACK, HE COMPARED IT TO
CHOKING ON A PUTT ON THE GOLF
COURSE.
TO ME, THAT'S AN IRRATIONAL
COMMENT.
>> YOU ALSO ASKED FORMER VICE
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN NOT TO COME
TO KENOSHA.
WHAT DID HE SAY IN RESPONSE TO
YOU WHEN YOU TALKED WITH HIM
ABOUT NOT COMING?
>> HE FELT CONFIDENT THAT HE
COULD PROVIDE EMPATHY AND THE
HEALING THAT THE PEOPLE NEEDED.
CLEARLY CANDIDATES CAN MAKE
THEIR OWN DECISIONS, WHETHER I
WANT THEM TO COME OR NOT, BUT HE
INDICATED, HE PROMISED ME THAT
HE WOULD BE EMPATHETIC AND HE
WOULD BE WORKING TO MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE ARE HEALING IN A
POSITIVE WAY.
>> AS TO YOUR SPECIAL SESSION ON
POLICE REFORM, IT WAS GAVELED
IN, BUT YOUR PROPOSALS WERE NOT
TAKEN UP.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE
LEGISLATURE'S ACTION ON THIS?
>> WELL, AND THAT GOES BACK TO
JACOB BLAKE AND HIS PARENTS,
TOO, THAT THEY ARE SAYING, YES,
WE'RE HURTING, WE WANT TO HEAL,
BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE POLICY
CHANGES AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY
WE DID WHAT WE DID, IS WE NEEDED
POLICY CHANGES AS IT RELATES TO
POLICING, YOU KNOW, AS IT
RELATES TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
THINGS.
BUT I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED, AND
NOT SURPRISED, BUT VERY
DISAPPOINTED.
BUT SO ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE
STATE.
WE HAVE OUR PROFESSIONAL
ATHLETES IN THIS STATE TALKING
ABOUT THIS.
AND SO AFTER THE INCIDENT IN
MINNEAPOLIS, PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN
WERE WELL AWARE OF WHAT THE
CHANGES SHOULD BE.
THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE OF IT.
FOR SOME REASON, THE REPUBLICANS
ARE NOT.
I DON'T GET IT.
>> AND YET DO YOU BELIEVE YOU
WILL BE ABLE TO WORK IN A
BIPARTISAN WAY ON THIS WITH THIS
SPEAKER'S TASK FORCE?
>> WELL, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE
TO WAIT FOR A TASK FORCE.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO SOME OF
THESE BILLS ARE REPUBLICAN
BILLS.
AND SENATOR LANGE LANGARD HAS BEEN
WORKING ON THIS,