PRESIDENTIAL RACE, REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS IN THE LEGISLATURE
WERE ABLE TO FLIP SOME SEATS,
BUT THE END RESULT IS THE SAME.
REPUBLICANS WILL RETAIN
COMMANDING MAJORITIES IN THE
STATE LEGISLATURE HEADING INTO
NEXT YEAR.
BUT NOT LARGE ENOUGH WHERE THEY
COULD OVERRIDE GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS' VETO POWER.
SENATE REPUBLICANS WON TWO SEATS
HELD BY DEMOCRATS GIVING THEM A
21-12 MAJORITY.
ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS WON TWO SEATS
IN THE MILWAUKEE SUBURBS, BUT
CONTROL THE CHAMBER 61-38.
BECAUSEBECAUSE SCOTT FITZGERALD WON A
SEAT IN THE U.S. HOUSE, THERE
WILL BE A NEW MAJORITY LEADER.
WE SAT DOWN WITH ZAC SCHULTZ.
>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> SO GOVERNOR EVERS HOLDS ON TO
HIS MIGHTY EGO PEN.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF
EVERS MAINTAINING HIS VETO
POWER?
>> WELL, THAT SAVE THE VETO
MESSAGE WAS DIRECTED AT
REDISTRICTING.
THE BIGGEST BATTLE GOING FORWARD
IS GOING TO BE HOW THE NEXT SET
OF MAPS ARE DRAWN THAT DIVIDE
OUR DISTRICTS.
TEN YEARS AGO, REPUBLICANS HAD
COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THAT
PROCESS AND THEY CREATED MAPS
THAT PUT THEM IN POWER FOR THE
REST OF THE DECADE.
AND DEMOCRATS WERE AFRAID THAT
WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN IF
GOVERNOR EVERS DIDN'T HAVE THE
ABILITY TO VETO THOSE MAPS AND
HOPE FOR A DIFFERENT RESOLUTION
AND FORCE SOME COMPROMISE.
>> SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN WHEN THE
REPUBLICANS FASHION THEIR OWN
MAPS AND THE GOVERNOR DECIDES HE
DOESN'T LIKE THAT AND HE VETOES
IT?
THEN WHAT?
>> WELL, IF THAT IS THE WAY IT
PLAYS OUT.
THERE'S ALSO A CHANCE OF
COMPROMISE.
BUT IN THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO
REPUBLICANS DRAW MAPS, THE
GOVERNOR VETOES THEM.
THEN IT WILL GO TO THE COURTS
MOST LIKELY.
IN PAST DECADES THAT HAS BEEN A
FEDERAL JUDGE WHO HAS BEEN
DRAWING THOSE MAPS.
IN THIS CASE, REPUBLICANS WOULD
LIKE TO SEE THAT BE THE STATE
SUPREME COURT BECAUSE THEY THINK
THEY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE WITH THE
CONSERVATIVES THERE THAT ARE
DRAWING THE MAPS OR FAVORING
MAPS ALREADY DRAWN BY
REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
>> THAT ADDS UP.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A NEW
MAJORITY LEADER IN THE SENATE?
>> THEY'LL HAVE THEIR WORK CUT
OUT FOR THEM.
SCOTT FITZGERALD HAD A
REPUTATION FOR REALLY KNOWING
HOW HIS CAUCUS WORKED, WHERE HIS
MEMBERS WERE.
HE'S GOT SOME EXTREMELY
CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS WHO HAVE
BEEN IN THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE
FOR A LONG TIME, VERY STRONG
INDIVIDUALS THAT AREN'T GOING TO
BE MOVED BY PARTY POLITICS AND
PRESSURE BY ANYONE ELSE.
THIS NEW LEADER WILL HAVE TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO NEGOTIATE AN
EXPANDED ROSTER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'LL
HAVE TO DO IS SOME OF THOSE VERY
SAME CONSERVATIVES HAVE BEEN
CALLING FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO
COME BACK IN AND STRIKE DOWN
GOVERNOR EVERS' MASK MANDATE AND
HEALTH EMERGENCY ORDERS
REGARDING HOW WE'RE RESPONDING
TO THE COVID PANDEMIC.
BEFORE THE ELECTION, REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP HELD OFF ON THAT.
THEY WERE AFRAID OF WHAT THAT
MIGHT MEAN AT THE BALLOT BOX IF
THEY WERE SEEN STRIKING DOWN
WHAT WERE QUITE POPULAR PUBLIC
OFFICIAL POSITIONS ON MASK
MANDATES.
THAT MAY CHANGE GOING FORWARD AS
SOON AS NEXT WEEK IF THE
LEGISLATURE COMES IN.
THE SENATE COULD STRIKE IT DOWN
AND REQUIRE THE ASSEMBLY TO DO
SO AS WELL.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE
DIFFERENCES WE MAY SEE RIGHT OFF
THE BAT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
MEANWHILE, EVEN NOW THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE AND THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH COULD BE
DESCRIBED AS ICY AT THE VERY
BEST.
THERE ARE BIG ISSUES BEFORE THE
STATE, COVID RESPONSE AND THEN
THE STATE BUDGET.
IS POST-ELECTION TIME AS WE'VE
DISCUSSED THE TIME FOR THE
BRANCHES TO COME TOGETHER AND
WORK ON ANY COVID RESPONSE?
>> IT COULD BEMENT COULD BE.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS AT
THE PRESIDENTIAL AND U.S. SENATE
LEVEL.
IF THERE'S ANOTHER RELIEF
PACKAGE, THE LEGISLATURE IN
WISCONSIN MAY WAIT TO SEE WHAT
THAT LOOKS LIKE TO SEE IF IT
INCLUDES ANY RELIEF FOR CITIES
IN WISCONSIN.
IF NOTHING HAPPENS AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL, THEN IT MAY
REQUIRE THE STATE TO COME BACK
IN.
BUT THAT WILL BE A WAITING GAME.
I WOULDN'T ANTICIPATE THEM DOING
THAT RIGHT AWAY, ESPECIALLY
SINCE WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE
NEXT SESSION AND NEXT BUDGET.
>> SPEAKING OF THE BUDGET, HOW
TOUGH IS THIS BUDGET YEAR GOING
TO BE GIVEN THE STATE OF THE
ECONOMY RIGHT NOW AND THE
CONTINUING EFFECTS OF THE
PANDEMIC?
>> WELL, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE
PRETTY AT THE MOMENT.
BUT A BIG QUESTION IS HOW
QUICKLY DOES THE ECONOMY IN THE
STATE AND NATIONALLY REBOUND IF
WE EVER GET A HOLD ON THIS COVID
PANDEMIC.
RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL
OVER IT AT ALL.
AND THAT'S DIRECTLY AFFECTING
SALES TAX REVENUE, INCOME TAX
REVENUES, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT
HELP FUND STATE GOVERNMENT.
GOING FORWARD, THIS BUDGET WON'T
GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL NEXT JULY,
BUT THEY'LL BE NEGOTIATING IN
THE SPRING.
SO HOW THEY SEE THE COVID
RESPONSE THEN VERSUS WHAT IT
WILL LOOK LIKE THE FOLLOWING TWO
YEARS WILL DETERMINE HOW
COMFORTABLE THEY ARE TO PUT
MONEY INTO THESE PROGRAMS AND
WHAT KIND OF BUDGET THEY PASS.
>> YEAH.
BACK TO THE ELECTION, THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
HAVING REPORTED ON SO MANY
ANGLES OF IT OVER THESE MONTHS,
HOW DOES THIS ONE COMPARE TO ALL
THOSE YOU HAVE COVERED OVER THE
YEARS?
>> I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY
COMPARISON TO ANY PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION WE'VE HAD IN WISCONSIN.
THE DEMOCRATS IN WISCONSIN
BASICALLY SAT OUT IN PERSON
CAMPAIGNING AND HOLDING RALLIES
WHILE REPUBLICANS WENT FORWARD
WITH IT.
IN PAST YEARS, WE'VE SEEN BARAK
OBAMA COME AND HOLD MASSIVE
RALLIES FOR IMAGES TO SHOW
ENTHUSIASM AND ENERGY.
THAT WASN'T POSSIBLE FOR JOE
BIDEN TO DO.
THEY WERE SOCIALLY DISTANCED.
THERE WERE NO CROWDS.
JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME LOOK
OR EFFECT.
IT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
ELECTION TO TRY TO COVER WHAT
WAS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND WHEN
WE HAD TO WORRY ABOUT HOW TO
INTERACT WITH THE CANDIDATES,
VOTERS, HOW WERE VOTERS
RESPONDING.
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ERA
REGARDING ABSENTEE BALLOTS.
WE'LL PROBABLY NEVER SEE
ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS WHEN IT
COMES TO BEING IN THE PANDEMIC
OR AT LEAST WE HOPE SO.
>> ALL RIGHT.
ZAC, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK
YOU DID