>> THANK YOU.
>> FREDERICA: AT THE STATE
CAPITOL, THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE
ON PUBLIC SAFETY TOOK UP SEVERAL
BILLINGS AROUND POLICING
THURSDAY THAT EMANATED AROUND
THE SPEAKER'S TASK FORCE ON
RACIAL DI DISPARITIES.
AMONG THEM, PROVISIONS OF
REPORTING, NO-KNOCK WARRANTS,
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANTS FOR
BODY CAMERAS.
THE WORK OF THE BIPARTISAN TASK
FORCE WHOSE CO-CHAIR IS A
DEMOCRATIC MEMBER OF THE
LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS IS NOT
GETTING PRAISE IN ALL CORNERS.
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID BOWEN HELD
A PRESS CONFERENCE DECRYING THE
LACK OF MEANINGFUL WORK ON
POLICE REFORM IN THE WAKE OF THE
JACOB BLAKE SHOOTING IN KENOSHA
AND MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD.
HE WAS JOINED BY COMMUNITY
ADVOCATES INCLUDING ANGELA LANG,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLACK
LEADERS ORGANIZING FOR
COMMUNITIES IN MILWAUKEE.
>> THIS IS A TIME TO INVEST IN
OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT INVEST IN
FURTHER POLICING OR FURTHER
CRIMINALIZATION AND THESE BILLS,
WHILE THEY ARE NOT A SILVER
BULLET
BULLET, THERE IS NO SILVER
BULLET TO UNRAVEL THE
GENERATIONS OF WHITE SUPREMACY,
THESE ARE BILLS THAT ARE A STEP
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND
CONTINUE TO MOVE THE
CONVERSATION FORWARD.
>> FREDERICA: AT THE PRESS
CONFERENCE, REPRESENT BOWEN MADE
PUBLIC 12 LEGISLATIVE BILLS HE
IS PROPOSING TO PUT TEETH INTO
POLICE REFORM IN WISCONSIN.
HE JOINS US NOW FROM MILWAUKEE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME ON.
>> FREDERICA: WHY ARE YOU
PROPOSING THESE BILLS NOW, EVEN
AS THERE IS WORK ONGOING IN THE
LEGISLATURE AROUND POLICE
REFORM.
>> WELL, NOW IS THE PERFECT
TIME.
THE TASK FORCE THAT WAS CREATED
BY THE SPEAKER, THEIR SEVEN
BILLS HAVE MADE THEIR WAY
THROUGH COMMITTEE.
I MYSELF HAD A CHANCE TO VOTE
AND SUPPORT FIVE OUT OF THE
SEVEN OF THOSE BILLS.
TWO OF THOSE THAT I REALLY
BELIEVE IN COMMUNICATION WITH
FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN MARCHING
AND ADVOCATINGEING FOR QUITE SOME
TIME, SINCE THE DEATH OF GEORGE
FLOYD, THEY FEEL IT GOES IN THE
OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF WHAT THEY
HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR.
TWO OUT OF THE SEVEN, I REALLY
HOPE, IF THAT'S WHAT THE TASK
FORCE AND IF THAT IS WHAT THE
LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO SIGN OFF
ON, I REALLY HOPE IT IS
INCUMBENT ON THE GOVERNOR TO
VETO THOSE BILLS SO IT CAN GO
BACK TO DECISION MAKING TABLE
AND HAVE ITS WAY WITH THE OTHER
BILLS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
WE WANTED TO ADD INTO THE
SOLUTIONS, INTO THE TABLE THAT
SHOULD BE THERE TO BE TALKED
ABOUT, TO BE DISCUSSED, TO BE
DEBATED, AND NOT LIMIT IT TO
JUST WHERE THE TASK FORCE LEFT
OFF.
WE KNOW IT TOOK THEM
SEVEN-AND-A-HALF MONTHS THE GET
TO THE CONCLUSION OF THOSE SEVEN
BILLS AND WE WANT TO ADD TO
THAT.
WE WANT TO BUILD ON TO THAT.
SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT HAVING A
WHOLISTIC CONVERSATION ON THE
SOLUTIONS AND IT IS JUST VERY
CLEAR THAT CERTAIN SOLUTIONS
WEREN'T ALLOWED TO BE DISCUSSED
AT THAT TABLE AND THERE ARE SOME
OTHER BILLS THAT HAVE ALREADY
BEEN OUT THERE WITH
REPRESENTATIVE MEYERS, MY
COLLEAGUE WITH THE BAN ON
NO-KNOCK WARRANTS.
MY OTHER COLLEAGUE WITH THE
DECERTIFY CASE AN QUALIFIED
IMMUNITY AND THE 12 BILLS WE
HAVE HERE IN THE "ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH" PACKAGE.
>> FREDERICA: WHAT ARE YOU
SAYING WASN'T ALLOWED TO MOVE
FORWARD OR BE DISCUSSED?
WHAT ARE THOSE?
>> SURE.
SO ONE OF THE BILLS IN OUR
PACKAGE IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE
DECISION-MAKING AROUND
PROSECUTING OFFICERS AND THAT
SHOULD LIE WITH A SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR DECIDED BY A COURT,
RATHER THAN THE CURRENT PROCESS
IS TO GIVE THAT INVESTIGATIVE
REPORT TO THE DA AND THE LOCAL
DA MAKES A DECISION, EVEN THOUGH
THERE IS A VERY CLOSE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A LOCAL DA
AN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT WE
DON'T WANT TO HAVE A CONFLICT OF
INTEREST THERE.
ANOTHER BILL IS TO ENSURE THAT
IN INVESTIGATIONS, ANY
INVESTIGATOR IS NOT RELATED TO
SOMEONE ON THE SAME FORCE, THAT
THEY ARE DOING THAT
INVESTIGATION ON.
AND THAT THEY THEMSELVES HAVE
BEEN AT LEAST TEN YEARS REMOVED
FROM WORKING FOR THAT SAME
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMOVE THE
CONFLICT OF INTEREST, THINGS
THAT COULD GET IN THE WAY.
THE HURDLES THAT ARE CREATING A
LOT OF DISTRUST IN THIS SYSTEM,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS VERY SHOWN
THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT AN
OFFICER MADE A MOVE OF MESQUITE
CONDUCT, MADE AN ABUSE OF POWER.
>> FREDERICA: AND SO AS TO YOUR
SLATE OF BILLS, YOU'RE PROPOSING
ONE OF THEM IS POLICE USE OF
FORCE.
WHAT PRECISELY DOES IT CALL FOR?
>> ESSENTIALLY, IT'S VERY
SPECIFIC.
IT'S CALLING FOR DIRECTIVES TO
EVERY OFFICER IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
IT IS PRESERVING THE SANCTITY OF
LIFE.
IT IS ENSURING THAT OFFICERS ARE
USING THE LEAST AMOUNT OF FORCE
POSSIBLE IN SITUATIONS TO KEEP
PEOPLE ALIVE.
AND WE KNOW THAT THOSE -- THAT
DEFINITION OF USE FORCE IS NOT
COMPLETE TO COME OUT OF THE TASK
FORCE, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THAT WAS A PART OF THE "ENOUGH
IS ENOUGH" PACKAGE, A COLLECTIVE
OF SOLUTIONS FROM THE PEOPLE AND
FROM THOSE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE ALSO HAVE A BILL TO RESPECT
THE DECISION OF POLICE CHIEFS
WHEN THEY MAKE A DECISION OF
FIRING AN OFFICER.
A LOT OF ONUS NEED TO BE PUT ON
POLICE CHIEFS TO MAKE THE
DECISION AND WHEN THEY DO IT
SHOULD BE RESPECTED AND IT
SHOULD TAKE MORE THAN A REGULAR
MAJORITY OF A POLICE COMMISSION
TO OVERTURN A DECISION OF A
POLICE CHIEF.
WE ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THAT
POLICE UNIONS ARE ADVOCATING FOR
STANDING UP FOR OFFICERS THAT
HAVE EXEMPLIFIED MISCONDUCT,
THAT HAVE EXEMPLIFIED NOT HAVING
THE PROPER CONDUCT TO BE IN
THEIR POSITIONS AND GO AGAINST A
DECISION OF A POLICE CHIEF.
SO WE'RE GETTING THOSE LOCAL
SOLUTIONS FROM CLEARLY DIFFERENT
FOLKS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THIS
SYSTEM.
>> FREDERICA: I WANT TO ASK
BRIEFLY, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF
TIME LEFT, BUT HOW DO YOU AND
OTHER DEMOCRATS ACCOMPLISH MORE
ON POLICE REFORM WITH MAJORITY
REPUBLICANS WITHOUT THE SEAT AT
THE BIPARTISAN TASK FORCE TABLE?
>> I THINK IT'S EXPOSING THE
RISK THAT EXISTS IN OUR STATE
LEGISLATURE.
IT IS ABOUT POWER TO SOME OF MY
COLLEAGUES, INSTEAD OF ACTUAL
SOLUTIONS TO KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE.
WE ARE TALKING WHAT ABOUT FOLKS
HAVE BEEN MARCHING, WHAT FOLKS
HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING SINCE THE
DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD IN AN
EXTRAORDINARY WAY, IN WAYS WE
HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE THE CIVIL
RIGHTS OF THE '60s.
IT IS INCUMBENT ON SPEAKER VOSS
AND THE LEADERSHIP TO HEAR THE
CRIES OF PEOPLE THAT THEY WANT
BOLD CHANGE.
THEY JUST DON'T WANT STUTTER
STEPS AND TALKING AND LIP
SERVICE TOWARDS REAL SOLUTIONS.
WE HAVE TO GET AT THE ROOT.
THAT IS WHAT OUR "ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH" PACKAGE CREATES.
IT IS ABOUT BRINGING THE
SOLUTIONS TO THE TABLE IN
DECISION-MAKING AND PROSECUTING
AND DIRECT CONTACT WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
ON THE FRONT END, AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT HAS A REALLY BIG
ROLE TO EMBRACE THESE REFORMS
THAT KEEPS THEM SAFE AS WELL,
AND THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY WANT
TO HIGHLIGHT HERE.
>> FREDERICA: THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE'LL HAVE YOU ON AGAIN TO TALK
FOR LONGER DURATION ON THESE
ISSUES.
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID BOWEN,
THANK