THE CHAIR OF A NEW REPUBLICAN
TASK FORCE, ASSEMBLY MAJORITY
LEADER JIM STEINEKE, SAYS HE
EXPECTS THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS
WILL BE TAKEN UP WITH THE
LEGISLATURE CONVENES AFTER THE
FIRST OF THE YEAR.
REPRESENTATIVE STEIN STEINEKE JOINS US
NOW.
>> FIRST I WANT TO CORRECT IT'S
NOT A REPUBLICAN TASK FORCE.
IT'S A TASK FORCE THAT IS GOING
TO HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
WE EXPECT TO ANNOUNCE IN THE
COMING DAYS A CO-CHAIR THAT IS
GOING TO COME FROM THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE AISLE.
WE'LL BE MAKING DECISIONS ON THE
COMPOSITION OF THE TASK FORCE
TOGETHER AND SETTING AGENDAS AND
TALKING ABOUT HOW WE MOVE
FORWARD TOGETHER.
SO REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS
SHOW THE STATE AND THE NATION
THAT WHEN WE BRING PEOPLE
TOGETHER, DEMOCRATS,
REPUBLICANS, PEOPLE FROM
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, ALONG WITH
LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE CAN STILL
SOLVE THESE BIG ISSUES BUT DO IT
IN A WAY THAT, AGAIN, BRINGS
PEOPLE TOGETHER.
>> STILL, THE GOVERNOR DID NOT
RESPOND PARTICULARLY FAVORABLY
TO THIS, SAYING THAT THE PEOPLE
OF WISCONSIN DON'T WANT ANOTHER
TASK FORCE TO MULL THINGS OVER.
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> YEAH.
IT'S KINDS OF FUNNY COMING FROM
A GUY THAT'S CREATED SOMEWHERE
AROUND A DOZEN TASK FORCES ON
HIS OWN OVER THE COURSE OF THE
FIRST TWO YEARS OF HIS
ADMINISTRATION.
SO HE'S RELIED HEAVILY ON TASK
FORCES HIMSELF TO LOOK AT
ISSUES.
BUT IT'S A LITTLE FRUSTRATING
BECAUSE THE ADMINISTRATION HAS
TYPICALLY THROWN THINGS OUT
THERE AND TOLD US TO PASS IT BY
STARTING SPECIAL SESSIONS.
YOU GUYS JUST PASS THIS.
WE WANT TO DO THINGS A LITTLE
DIFFERENTLY, AGAIN, BRINGING
TOGETHER DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS, PEOPLE OF COLOR AND
LAW ENFORCEMENT ALL TO WORK ON
ISSUE TOGETHER SO WE CAN HAVE
CONSENSUS AROUND THESE ISSUES.
>> I KNOW YOUR LEADERSHIP
DECIDED TO EXTEND THE SPECIAL
SESSION CALL UNTIL TUESDAY.
WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?
>> REALLY, AGAIN, IT'S KEEPING
IT OPEN SO THAT WE CAN EXAMINE
THESE ISSUES THROUGH THE USE OF
THE TASK FORCE SO THAT IF THE
TASK FORCE COMPLETES ITS WORK ON
TIME, WE HAVE THE SPECIAL
SESSION AVAILABLE TO US TO TAKE
UP THOSE BILLS.
IF WE RUN INTO THE END OF THE
YEAR OR EARLY NEXT YEAR, THEN WE
CAN GO BACK IN REGULAR SESSION.
BUT THERE'S NO REASON TO ADJOURN
THE SPECIAL SESSION RIGHT NOW.
>> SO, I MEAN, ARE YOU
SUGGESTING THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO
TAKE SOMETHING UP AT THE START
OF NEXT WEEK?
>> NO.
NO.
BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME
TIME AS FAR AS THE SETTING UP
THE TASK FORCE.
SO THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A COUPLE
OF WEEKS.
WE'LL START MEETING BY THE END
OF THE MONTH.
THE REASON TO RECESS THE SPECIAL
SESSION UNTIL NEXT WEEK IS WE
HAVE TO DO THAT ON A WEEKLY
BASIS.
SO WE HAVE TO COME IN, OPEN IT
UP AND THEN RECESS TO THE NEXT
WEEK JUST TO KEEP THE SPECIAL
SESSION OPEN.
>> THERE DOES SEEM TO BE SOME
OVERLAP BETWEEN REPUBLICAN
PROPOSALS AND THE GOVERNOR'S;
NAMELY, ON USE OF FORCE.
HE CALLS FOR STANDARDS.
THE SPEAKER WAS TALKING ABOUT
LOOKING AT A USE -- OR ACTUALLY
IT WAS SENATOR WANGARD.
DO YOU EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO COME
TOGETHER ON THIS AND POLICE
REFORM AND RACIAL INEQUITY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT.
MY INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH
MEMBERS OF THE BLACK CAUCUS AND
THE ASSEMBLY HAVE BEEN VERY
GOOD.
I THINK WE'RE KIND OF ON THE
SAME PAGE AS FAR AS WHAT WE WANT
TO SEE COME OUT OF THIS TASK
FORCE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY IN ORDER
TO GET ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVE
PASSED, WE HAVE TO HAVE BUY-IN
OF NOT ONLY DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS, BUT PEOPLE IN
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT ALL COMING TOGETHER.
SO I EXPECT WE'LL TAKE UP AND
LOOK AT THE DEMOCRATIC
PROPOSALS.
WE'LL LOOK AT REPUBLICAN
PROPOSALS.
BUT THEN WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT THE
WPPA PROPOSALS THAT THEY PUT OUT
THIS WEEK.
>> THAT'S PROFESSIONAL POLICE
ASSOCIATION?
>> YES, MA'AM.
>> SO MOVING ON TO THE VISITS BY
THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES THIS
WEEK, FORMER GOVERNOR WALKER
SAID THAT JOE BIDEN WAS USING
KENOSHA AS A POLITICAL PROP.
WHY CAN'T THE SAME BE SAID OF
DONALD TRUMP?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, FOR ME, I WELCOME ANY
TYPE OF ATTENTION THAT THESE
VISITS BRING TO THE STATE
BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN SUCH A PAIN
POINT FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY
OF KENOSHA, AND HOPEFULLY THESE
VISITS, BOTH FROM THE PRESIDENT
AND FROM JOE BIDEN, WILL BEGIN
THE HEALING PROCESS.
IT WOULD BE FRUSTRATING IF THEY
WERE USING IT AS CAMPAIGN PLOYS.
HOPEFULLY THAT'S NOT THE CASE. THE
PRESIDENT DID IN ALLOCATING
RESOURCES TO THE STATE TO HELP
REBUILD THE COMMUNITY AND HELP
HEAL THAT AREA, BECAUSE IT'S
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
>> WERE YOU SURPRISED TO LEARN
THAT GOVERNOR EVERS ACTUALLY
ALSO ASKED JOE BIDEN NOT TO
COME, AS HE HAD THE PRESIDENT?
>> YEAH.
THAT'S WHAT GOVERNOR EVERS SAYS
THAT HE DID.
YOU KNOW, HE MADE IT VERY PUBLIC
ANNOUNCEMENT, THAT HE DIDN'T
WANT PRESIDENT TRUMP TO COME.
IF HE DID SAY THAT TO CANDIDATE HE DID IT A LITTLE
QUIETER AND NOT IN A PUBLIC
LETTER.
BUT I'LL TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD
THAT HE ASKED BOTH CANDIDATES
NOT TO COME.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE OUR CONVERSATION HERE,
BUT THANKS VERY MUCH AND WE WILL
BE FOLLOWING THE WORK OF THE
TASK FORCE AS WELL AS THE FULL
LEGISLATURE AS IT MOVES AHEAD ON
POLICE REFORM.
THANK