LAST WEEK, WE SPOKE WITH
REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE JIM
STEINEKE ABOUT THE SPECIAL TASK
FORCE HE'S LEADING ON RACIAL
DISPARITIES.
HE SAID A DEMOCRAT WOULD BE
ANNOUNCED AS CO-CHAIR THIS WEEK.
SHELIA STUBBS JOINS US FROM
MADISON ALONG WITH
REPRESENTATIVE STEINEKE IN
KAUKAUNA.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR TIME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> REPRESENTATIVE STUBBS, LET'S
START WITH YOU.
DEMOCRATS WERE CRITICAL OF THE
CREATION OF THIS TASK FORCE
INSTEAD OF VOTING ON THE BILLS
GOVERNOR EVERS HAS PROPOSED.
SO WHY ARE YOU A PART OF IT NOW?
>> FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR
GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE
INTERVIEWED.
THIS IS IMPORTANT.
AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN, A
LEGISLATOR, SOMEONE WHO'S
REPRESENTING MADISON, SOMEONE
WHO HAS PERSONALLY HAD A
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF BEING
PROFILED, IT'S ABOUT SAVING
LIVES.
IT'S ABOUT GETTING COMMON SENSE
BILLS PASSED IN THE LEGISLATURE
THAT WE KNOW WILL BE IMPACTFUL
TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
LET ME BE CLEAR.
WHAT WAS REALLY ATTRACTIVE TO ME
WHEN REPRESENTATIVE STEIN SCE STEINEKE
ASKED ME TO BE THE CO-CHAIR, HE
SAID WE'RE GOING TO GO TO WORK
FOR THE PEOPLE ACROSS WISCONSIN.
LET'S BRING IN GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZERS, PUBLIC HEALTH, LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
LET'S ALL SIT AT THE TABLE AND
CRAFT MEANINGFUL RESOLUTIONS OR
BILLS THAT WE HAVE CONSENSUS
THAT WE CAN PASS IN JANUARY.
LET'S BE CLEAR.
WE NEED TO PASS THESE BILLS
BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
>> REPRESENTATIVE STEINEKE, HOW
IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A WOMAN
OF COLOR CO-CHAIRG THIS
COMMITTEE?
WHAT LEGITIMACY DOES SHE BRING
TO THIS?
>> WELL, IT'S INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVE
STUBBS AS PART OF THIS.
WHEN THE CREATION OF THE TASK
FORCE FIRST CAME UP, QUITE
HONESTLY THE PARTNER THAT I
REALLY WANTED WAS REPRESENTATIVE
STUBBS BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A
GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
I KNOW SHE'S BEEN FRUSTRATED BY
THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T COME IN
AND IMMEDIATELY PASS THOSE
BILLS.
I KNOW SHE KNOWS THAT WE WERE
FRUSTRATED WITH HOW GOVERNOR
EVERS PUT THOSE BILLS OUT THERE.
BUT THE NICE THING IS I KNOW
WORKING WITH REPRESENTATIVE
STUBBS WE BOTH CAN SET THOSE
THINGS ASIDE AND THEN MOVE
FORWARD TOGETHER WITH PEOPLE
FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, LIKE
SHE SAID, FAITH-BASED
COMMUNITIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
OTHERS, TO REALLY COME TO A
BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS ON THIS
ISSUE.
>> REPRESENTATIVE STUBBS, IF ANY
OF THESE IDEAS ARE GOING TO
BECOME LAW, THERE WILL HAVE TO
BE A LOT OF COMPROMISE.
DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATS WILL BE
WILLING TO VOTE FOR WHAT THEY
THINK IS A WATERED-DOWN VERSION
OF THE BILL?
>> WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WE COME
TOGETHER WITH A BIPARTISAN PIECE
OF LEGISLATION.
IT'S NOT JUST A REPUBLICAN VOICE
OR DEMOCRAT VOICE.
IT IS A COMMUNITY VOICE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE THE DRIVER IN
THIS CONVERSATION.
AND PEOPLE KNOW MY VALUES AND MY
BELIEFS.
I'M GOING IN THAT ROOM ON BEHALF
OF THE PEOPLE I REPRESENT AND
I'M COMING OUT OF THAT ROOM WITH
REPRESENTATIVE STEINEKE AND
THOSE ON THIS TASK FORCE WITH A
CONSENSUS OF BILLS THAT'S GOING
TO MOVE US FORWARD ACROSS THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN.
I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES TRUST ME
AND I TRUST MYSELF.
AND I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING
ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RACIAL
DISPARITIES AND AS A VICTIM OF
RACIAL DISPARITY.
THIS STATE IS THE WORST STATE
FOR A BLACK PERSON TO LIVE IN.
THAT IS DISTURBING,
UNACCEPTABLE.
LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO I'M WILLING TO COME TO THE
TABLE TO MAKE THE BEST OF THE
SITUATION.
>> JUST TO PUSH BACK A LITTLE
BIT ON THAT, ZAC, AS FAR AS THE
CONCEPT THAT THESE BILLS WOULD
SOMEHOW BE WATERED DOWN, THAT'S
NOT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS JUST
BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS AND WORK ON
THIS WHERE WE'RE TAKING NOT ONLY
THE IDEAS DEMOCRATS PROPOSED IN
JUNE, BUT THE IDEAS THAT
REPUBLICANS PROPOSED JUST A
COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO ALONG WITH
INITIATIVES BY THE WISCONSIN
PROFESSIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION
AND OTHER REFORMS FROM ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T
TALK ABOUT THIS AS BEING WATERED
DOWN BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE GOAL
HERE.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO GET REAL
REFORMS DONE WORKING TOGETHER TO
SHOW THE STATE THAT WE CAN STILL
SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS WORKING
TOGETHER FROM THE VERY BEGINNING
ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE END
OF HOPEFULLY PASSING AND GETTING
THESE BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW.
>> BUT --
>> AND ALSO, ZAC, I THINK ALSO
TO ADD ON TO WHAT REPRESENTATIVE
STEINEKE SAID, I THINK THE
NATION IS GOING TO BE WATCHING
WISCONSIN AND I THINK WE ARE
GOING TO BE A TRAILBLAZER FOR
WHAT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
SHOULD LOOK LIKE ACROSS THIS
NATION.
>> ALL RIGHT.
REPRESENTATIVE STUBBS THEN, WHAT
WOULD YOU CONSIDER SUCCESS?
WHAT'S THE BARE MINIMUM OF
LEGISLATION THAT NEEDS TO BE
PASSED AND SIGNED INTO LAW?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE
IS A REALITY.
WE MUST TALK ABOUT THE NEED TO
ADDRESS THAT.
I THINK NO CHOKEHOLDS, NO-KNOCK
WARRANTS MUST BE ADDRESSED
CONSIDERING WHAT'S HAPPENED
ACROSS OUR NATION.
IN ADDITION, I PERSONALLY WANT
TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ADDRESSING
PROFILING.
YOU KNOW, THIS STATE HAVING THE
WORST DISPARITIES FOR BLACK
PEOPLE, WE MUST ADDRESS THESE
INITIATIVES AND THESE ISSUES.
AND I AM HOPEFUL BECAUSE I WAKE
UP OPTIMISTIC.
I'M HOPEFUL BECAUSE I TRULY
BELIEVE MY COLLEAGUE,
REPRESENTATIVE STEINEKE, IS
GOING TO DO HIS BEST TO WORK
WITH THE REPUBLICANS.
I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO WORK
WITH THE DEMOCRATS.
WHEN WE GO IN THAT ROOM AND WORK
WITH COMMUNITIES, WE CANNOT
FAIL.
FAILURE CANNOT BE AN OPTION.
>> REPRESENTATIVE STEINEKE, YOUR
REACTION.
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM THAT NEEDS
TO HAPPEN FOR THIS TO BE A
SUCCESS?
>> I DON'T WANT TO GO IN
PREJUDGING ANYTHING.
I WANT TO DO MORE LISTENING THAN
I DO TALKING.
I SEE MY ROLE ESPECIALLY AS A
FACILITATOR.
REPRESENTATIVE STUBBS BRINGS
MORE EXPERIENCE TO THIS ISSUE
THAN I DO.
SO I'M GOING TO HELP TRY TO
BRING ALL SIDES TOGETHER SO WE
CAN COME UP WITH A PACKAGE THAT
HAS SOME REAL STRONG REFORMS IN
THERE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO
BOTH OF YOU FOR YOUR