MONTHS.
>> ALL RIGHT, CHARLES FRANK,
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AS ALWAYS THERE'S A LOT GOING
ON IN WISCONSIN FROM POLITICS TO
POLICY.
TONIGHT WE CHECK IN WITH OUR
POLITICAL PANELIST REPUBLICAN
BILL McCOSHEN AND DEMOCRAT SCOT
ROSS.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
FIRST OFF WHAT IS YOUR BROAD
TAKE ON THE LEGISLATURE'S STATE
BUDGET JUST PASSED AND AWAITING
THE GOVERNOR'S ACTION?
IS IT WHAT YOU EXPECTED WITH A 7
BILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS?
>> I THINK IT'S A 7 BILLION
DOLLAR WASTED OPPORTUNITY BY
REPUBLICANS TO SUPPORT THINGS
THAT ARE GOING TO HELP THE
PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN, MEN, WOMEN,
CHILDREN, THRIVE AND EXCEL.
WE MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO END
THE CRIMINAL ABORTION BAN.
WE'RE GASHING THE UW SYSTEM.
WE'RE NOT FULLY FUNDING PUBLIC
EDUCATION.
LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT CHILDCARE.
WE'VE GOT CHILDCARE, THERE WAS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE REAL
CHILDCARE BUT INSTEAD WE'RE
GIVING A TAX BREAK TO THE TOP 1
PERCENT.
25,000 PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE
300 MILLION DOLLARS THAT COULD
HAVE OTHERWISE PREVENTED 2500
CHILDCARE FACILITIES FROM
CLOSING THE NEXT COUPLE OF
YEARS.
IT'S JUST SHAMEFUL.
>> I THINK VIEWERS SHOULD BE
EXCITED ABOUT THIS BUDGET.
THIS IS TONY'S THIRD BUDGETS
WITH REPUBLICANS IN THE MAJORITY
WHERE THEY HAVE GRAND BARGAINS
ON KEY ISSUES.
SHARED REVENUE, HISTORIC
INCREASE IN FUNDING TO LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, K-12 AND CHARTER
SCHOOLS, ALL KIDS BENEFIT
REGARDLESS OF WHICH CHOICE THEIR
PARENTS MAKE FOR THEIR
EDUCATION, HOUSING 500 MILLION
DOLLARS, TO INCREASE THE HOUSING
STOCK NOT ONLY IN URBAN BUT
RURAL AREAS AS WELL.
LITERACY, TRANSPORTATION, PAY
RAISES FOR STATE EMPLOYEES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS THEY AGREED
ON.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT'S
HAPPENED IN THE LAST THREE
BUDGETS.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO BE
EXCITED ABOUT IN THIS BUDGET.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THE
GOVERNOR MIGHT DO?
>> I TALKED TO SOMEBODY TODAY
FROM THE EAST WING AND THEY SAID
THE CHANCE OF VETOING THE ENTIRE
BUDGET ARE FIFTY-FIFTY.
IF NOT THEY'RE GOING TO LINE
ITEM AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE
AS THE GOVERNOR ALREADY STATED
AND I THINK FOR GOOD REASON
BECAUSE WE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES,
HANDING OUT TOO MUCH MONEY TO
PEOPLE.
>> WHAT WOULD HE BE VETOING
OVER?
>> THE TAX PLAN IN PARTICULAR.
YOU SEE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY'RE
WASTING.
THE TOP 1 PERCENT IS TAKING AWAY
300 PLUS BILLION DOLLARS.
IF YOU GET RID OF THAT TOP RATE
IT'S 700 MILLION DOLLARS LOST
THAT COULD BE INVESTED IN THINGS
LIKE CHILDCARE.
>> THREE CHOICES, SIGN IT IN
TOTAL, HE WON'T DO THAT, VETO IT
COMPLETELY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S
REALISTIC, OR PARTIAL VETOES IS
REALISTIC.
HIS STAFF INDICATED HE WILL USE
IT AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
THE REASON HE WON'T VETO THE
WHOLE BILL, THE FUNDING IS IN
THIS BILL.
THE LIKELIHOOD OF A BETTER DEAL
NEXT TIME AROUND IS ZERO.
TO ELIMINATE UW DEI OFFICES.
BUT WHAT'S NEXT IN THE REALM OF
ABANDONING DIVERSITY, EQUITY,
AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES IN
WISCONSIN?
>> I DON'T THINK WE'RE
ABANDONING IT BUT I THINK MAYBE
FINALLY WE'RE GOING TO PUT THE
FOCUS WHERE IT BELONGS WHICH IS
ON URBAN SCHOOLS.
IF YOU WANT TO GIVE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN KIDS A BETTER
OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE TO TEACH
THEM TO READ.
WHEN 22 CAN READ AT GRADE LEVEL
AND 80 PERCENT CAN'T, THE 80
PERCENT IS NEVER GOING TO MAKE
IT TO COLLEGE AND MORE LIKELY TO
END UP IN PRISON.
THAT HAS TO BE THE FOCUS IS
MAKING SURE OUR URBAN SCHOOLS
DELIVER THE KIND OF EDUCATION
THOSE KIDS NEED AND THE TRUTH IS
THE ONES WHO SUFFER THE MOST ARE
ASIAN AMERICANS, NOT WHITES.
>> I THINK IT'S DISGRACEFUL WHAT
THE SUPREME COURT AND REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURE IS TRYING TO DO.
AGAIN, DIVERSITY IS WHAT MAKES
WISCONSIN, WHAT MAKES THE
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN GREAT,
AND STYMYING THAT BECAUSE YOU
THINK IT PLAYS YOUR RACIST BASE
IS NOT THE WAY TO GO.
34 MILLION DOLLARS CUT OUT OF
UW.
SO A STUDENT WHO GRADUATED FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GETS
TO WALK AFTER FOUR YEARS ACROSS
THE AISLE.
A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN WILL HAVE TO STAY FIVE
YEARS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET
WHAT THEY NEED IN FOUR YEARS AS
A RESULT.
>> MY SON GRADUATED FROM MADISON
IN MAY.
I WAS AT THE GRADUATION
CEREMONY.
FEWER THAN 200 AFRICAN-AMERICANS
CROSSED THE STAGE OUT OF 8,000.
>> WE HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN AND
NOT TAKE IT BACK.
WHAT THE SUPREME COURT DID WAS
DISGRACEFUL AND PROBABLY WAS THE
WORST WEEK FOR THE SUPREME COURT
OTHER THAN PLESSENGER VERSUS
FERGUSON.
>> SPEAKING OF THE SUPREME
COURT, THEY TURNED BACK JOE
BIDEN'S ACTION TO CANCEL STUDENT
LOAN DEBT.
WHAT IS THE COMPLIIMPLICATIONS?
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW
PROVIDING ROBIN VOS WITH A
300,000 LOAN, HE'S A
MULTI-MILLIONAIRE, HOW THAT
HELPS THE ECONOMY, BUT FORGIVING
10,000 DOLLARS FOR NEARLY A
MILLION STUDENT LOAN BORROW ERS
WHO WILL PUT IT BACK IN THE
ECONOMY HELPS OUR ECONOMY.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO FINANCED THE
LAWSUIT GOT A PPP LOAN.
IT'S HYPOCRISY.
>> I'M ONE OF SEVEN KIDS.
THE NOTION THAT I WOULD GO TO A
BIG TEN SCHOOL AND GET A DEGREE
WAS UNTHINKABLE WHEN I WAS A
KID, YET IT HAPPENED.
WHY?
I INVESTED IN MYSELF.
I TOOK OUT STUDENT LOANS.
I PAID THOSE BACK.
I VIEWED IT AS AN INVESTMENT IN
MYSELF AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO
PAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO MADE
THAT SAME CHOICE.
>> THAT'S THE ARGUMENT.
>> WE SPENT THE MONEY, WE USED
TO INVEST TEN CENTS OF EVERY GPR
DOLLAR INTO HIGHER GENERAEDUCAT.
IT'S DOWN TO TWO AND A HALF
CENTS.
I PAID STUDENT DEBT FOR 26
YEARS.
I SUPPORT FORGIVING EVERY PENNY
OF STUDENT LOAN DEBT AND MAKE IT
FREE.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
MARQUETTE LAW SCHOOL POLL THAT
SHOWED 66 PERCENT OF PEOPLE
SURVEYED IN WISCONSIN THINK
ABORTION SHOULD BE LEGAL IN ALL
OR MOST CASES.
HOW WILL THIS ISSUE CONTINUE TO
INFORM THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS?
>> THE SUPREME COURT OF
WISCONSIN HAS A BIG SAY IN THAT
WHETHER IT'S THE LAW OF THE LAND
OR SOMETHING PASSED SUBSEQUENT
TO THAT.
SO WE'LL SEE.
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE CROSS
TABS PEOPLE DON'T LIKE ABORTION
UP UNTIL THE TIME OF BIRTH AND A
LOT OF FOLKS DON'T SUPPORT ANY
ABORTION AT ANY TIME.
>> NOBODY'S HAVING ABORTIONS UP
TO THE POINT OF BIRTH BUT I
AGREE IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE
ISSUE.
I THINK IT'LL REIGN HUGE IN
RACES AND DEMOCRATS ARE ON THE
RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
THE LESSON FROM THE POLL IS
REPUBLICANS IF THEY ACTED MORE
LIKE DEMOCRATS WITH THOSE ISSUES
THEY MIGHT LOSE FEWER ELECTIONS.
>> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER