EXPEDIENCY.
>> WHILE THE SPEAKER MAY HAVE
BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH CHANGES TO
THE COVID BILL, THOSE CHANGES
GARNERED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT WITH
ONLY ONE DEMOCRAT AND ONE
REPUBLICAN VOTING AGAINST THE
SENATE VERSION.
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS CALLED IT A
GOOD START.
THE SENATE BILL STRIPPED SEVERAL
ITEMS FROM THE ASSEMBLY VERSION,
INCLUDING LIMITATIONS ON LOCAL
HEALTH OFFICIALS' AUTHORITY TO
DETERMINE COVID-RELATED PUBLIC
HEALTH GUIDELINES.
IT TOOK OUT LIMITS ON SCHOOLS'
ABILITY TO RUN VIRTUAL
INSTRUCTION.
THE SENATE BILL WOULD NOT BAR
GETTING A VACCINE AS A CONDITION
OF EMPLOYMENT.
OR GIVING THE STATE LEGISLATURE
OF COVID-RELATED MONEY.
THE BIGGEST THING THAT'S IN BOTH
VERSIONS IS A LIABILITY SHIELD
FOR BUSINESSES AGAINST COVID
LAWSUITS.
WHY THE DEPARTURE FROM THE
ASSEMBLY VERSION OF THE
LONG-AWAITED COVID RELIEF
PACKAGE?
WE TAKE THAT QUESTION TO THE NEW
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER, DEVIN
LEMAHIEU, WHO JOINS US FROM
OOSTBURG AND THANKS FOR DOING
SO.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.
THE GOAL ALL ALONG WITH THE
SPEAKER, MYSELF AND THE GOVERNOR
EVEN BACK IN DECEMBER WAS TO GET
A BILL THAT WE COULD GET PASSED
TO MAKE IMPORTANT CHANGES FOR
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
THAT'S WHAT WE DID IN THE
SENATE.
WE FOUND A PATH FORWARD TO MAKE
SURE THE STATE CAN STILL BEYOND
TO THE COVID PANDEMIC CRISIS
THAT'S GOING ON AND MAKE SURE
THERE'S PROTECTIONS NOT JUST FOR
BUSINESSES, BUT FOR CHURCHES,
NONPROFITS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS,
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MAIN STREET
BUSINESSES.
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE THAT
LIABILITY SO THAT THESE ENTITIES
CAN OPERATE AS THEY CURRENTLY
ARE WITHOUT THE FEAR OF
FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS.
>> SO YOU WANTED TO GET
SOMETHING DONE.
WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU,
NEGOTIATING WITH THE GOVERNOR TO
LEARN WHAT HE WILL SIGN INTO LAW
OR NEGOTIATING WITH ASSEMBLY
REPUBLICANS TO MAKE SURE THE
LEGISLATURE IS ALL ON THE SAME
PAGE?
>> I THINK BOTH THOSE AREAS ARE
IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE
TO WORK WITH THE SPEAKER AND THE
ASSEMBLY.
THERE'S SOME IMPORTANT THINGS
THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO GET DONE
THAT THE GOVERNOR MAY VETO.
SOME OF THE PROVISIONS THAT WERE
TAKEN OUT, WE HAVE A STAND-ALONE
BILL.
HOPEFULLY THE GOVERNOR WILL SIGN
THEM.
THERE'S GOING TO BE THINGS GOING
FORWARD WHEN WHERE THERE'S AN
OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE
GOVERNOR WE'RE GOING TO WORK
WITH THE GOVERNOR AND GET THINGS
DONE FOR THE STATE.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO WORK WITH THE
SPEAKER TO MAKE SURE WE ADVANCE
CONSERVATIVE LEGISLATION.
>> WHO'S GOING TO DRIVE THE BUS
ON LEGISLATIVE ISSUES, YOU OR
SPEAKER VOS?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, MY -- I OBVIOUSLY HAVE
KNOWN THE SPEAKER FOR SIX YEARS.
IT'S A NEW ROLE FOR ME.
SO I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
THE SPEAKER TO FIND WAYS WHERE
WE CAN DRAFT AND GET GOOD
LEGISLATION DURING THE PROCESS.
>> ON THIS, THE FBI HAS WARNED
OF ATTACKS, AS YOU KNOW, PRY -- BY
PRO-TRUMP CONSERVATIVES OVER THE
NEXT FEW DAYS.
WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT
THAT HAPPENING HERE?
>> YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN
PRIVY TO MUCH OF THE INFORMATION
AS TO WHY THEY ARE PUTTING UP
BARRIERS AND BOARDING UP
WINDOWS.
THERE'S ABOUT SOME TWITTER
CHATTER ABOUT SOME
DEMONSTRATIONS THAT MAY GO ON IN
ALL 50 CAPITOLS.
WE CONDEMN VIOLENCE AS A SENATE
GOP CAUCUS A WEEK AGO, SAYING
VIOLENCE IN ANY FORM, IN MADISON
LAST SUMMER, IN KENOSHA LAST
FALL, IN THE CAPITOL JUST LAST
WEEK, IT'S TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO
PEACEFULLY PROTEST IN THIS
COUNTRY.
THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT RIGHT.
BUT VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE
ANSWER.
IT NEEDS TO BE CONDEMNED.
>> IT IS CLEAR THAT MUCH OF THE
ANGER FROM THESE
INSURRECTIONISTS IS RELATED TO
MISINFORMATION REPEATED BY
DONALD TRUMP AND MANY
REPUBLICANS ABOUT HOW THE
ELECTION WAS STOLEN.
DO YOU BELIEVE WISCONSIN'S
ELECTIONS WERE LEGITIMATE?
>> THE COURTS HAVE DECIDED THAT
ALL PROCESS ONS WERE PROCESSES WERE IN PLACE.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK
TO A MAKE SURE THE ELECTION
COMMISSION ISN'T PROVIDING
GUIDANCE TO CONTRARY TO LAW.
THE COURTS HAVE DECIDED THAT HE
WON AND JUST THERE'S A LOT OF
CLOSE STATES, BUT WE LIVE UNDER
A NATION OF LAWS AND WE NEED TO
FOLLOW THOSE LAWS.
>> AND SO TO BE CLEAR, YOU
BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTIONS WERE
FAIR AND THAT THE ALLEGATIONS OF
FRAUD HAVE BEEN RIGHTLY DEBUNKED
DEBUNKED?
>> I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A --
FOR THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OTHER STATES.
BUT IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT
PARTS OF STATE LAW WERE -- SUCH
AS HARVESTING BALLOTS IN THE
PARK WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND
WISCONSIN ELECTION LAW.
>> THAT WAS NOT SO DETERMINED.
BUT I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU THIS.
WILL YOU TELL YOUR CONSTITUENTS
TRUTH WHEN IT COMES TO OUR
ELECTIONS, THAT JOE BIDEN DID
WIN AND HE WILL BE THE NEXT
PRESIDENT?
>> JOE BIDEN WILL BE OUR NEXT
PRESIDENT.
>> OKAY.
SENATOR LA MESA