>> WISCONSIN VOTERS GO TO THE POLLS NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 2nd.
THIS SPRING ELECTION INCLUDES A
PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE VOTE, WHICH MAY GIVE A SENSE OF WHICH
WAY OUR PIVOTAL BATTLEGROUND STATE COULD TIP.
MEANWHILE, IN POLICY AND POLITICS AT THE STATE LEVEL,
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS WITH WHAT HE SIGNED INTO LAW AND WHAT HE
VETOED AND WHY. HE JOINS US NOW.
GOVERNOR, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR DOING SO.
>> THANKS, FREDERICA. >> SO YOU HAVE TAKEN ACTION ON A
RAFT OF LEGISLATIVE BILLS IN THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS.
WHAT, FOR YOU, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT BILLS THAT YOU'VE
SIGNED INTO LAW THIS SESSION? >> IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN A PRETTY
GOOD BIPARTISAN SESSION. I KNOW THE -- WHEN PEOPLE HEAR
IT FROM THE OUTSIDE, WE'RE FIGHTING ALL THE TIME, BUT THE
FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE HAVE FAIR MAPS.
THAT WAS A BIPARTISAN WIN. SHARED REVENUES WAS VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT. BREWER STADIUM, AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, JUST TO NAME A FEW, AND ALL OF THEM WERE BIPARTISAN AND
VERY MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT BILLS, SO I WAS REALLY, REALLY
HAPPY ABOUT THAT. WE PROVIDE SOME MORE MONEY FOR
OUR SCHOOLS. CLEARLY, WE HAD DECADES WORTH OF
KIND OF STARVING OUR SCHOOLS, SO IT WASN'T ENOUGH, BUT IT
CERTAINLY WAS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND LOTS OF RESOURCES FOR HEALTH
FOR KIDS. THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL.
>> YOU SPOKE TO THE BIPARTISAN NATURE OF THESE BILLS, NOW
SIGNED INTO LAW, BUT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO A CHANGING POLITICAL
LANDSCAPE BECAUSE OF NEW MAPS? SHOULD IT LEAD TO EVEN LESS
FEUDING AND MORE COMPROMISE? >> IT SHOULD, AND THAT'S
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. FAIR MAPS DOES NOT MEAN
DEMOCRATICALLY GERRYMANDERED MAPS.
IT JUST MEANS THE RATIONALE HERE IS THAT WISCONSIN IS A PURPLE
STATE AND RACES SHOULD BE CLOSE AND HARD-FOUGHT AND GIVE PEOPLE
THE CHANCE TO INTERACT WITH CANDIDATES FROM BOTH PARTIES.
AND SO I THINK IT'S BEST FOR DEMOCRACY, AND SO I'M REALLY
HAPPY ABOUT THAT. I THINK THERE WILL BE MORE
DEMOCRATS IN THE LEGISLATURE THAN BEFORE, BUT IT'S GOING TO
BE CLOSE. AND SO I DO THINK THAT
BIPARTISANSHIP WILL BE AMPLIFIED BY THAT, ABSOLUTELY.
>> WHICH DO YOU BELIEVE WERE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT VETOES?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY THE IMPORTANT VETOES, THERE'S
SEVERAL, BUT THE ONE I'M THAT JUST NEVER MADE IT TO MEES-
THAT WEREN'T -- WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO VETO.
ESSENTIALLY THE POSTPARTUM PIECE, WHERE WE COULD GIVE --
COULD HAVE GAVE WOMEN A FULL YEAR INSTEAD OF 60 DAYS, MAKING
SURE THAT OUR PEOPLE AT THE POLLS ARE DOING -- YOU KNOW, CAN
OPEN ENVELOPES THE DAY BEFORE SO THAT THEY'RE NOT SO SCURRYING
AROUND ON ELECTION DAY. THERE'S A WHOLE NUMBER OF THINGS
THAT FRANKLY DIDN'T HAPPEN, AND THE ONE THING THAT I'LL CONTINUE
TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT, FRANKLY, IS CRITICAL, IS CHILDCARE.
CHILDCARE OPERATIONS IN THE STATE ARE JUST BARELY HANGING IN
THERE AND IF WE WANT TO HAVE A STRONG ECONOMY, WE NEED A STRONG
INDUSTRY OF CHILDCARE. SO THOSE ARE THINGS I DIDN'T
VETO; WE JUST NEVER GOT THERE. >> SO WHAT ARE SOME LINGERING
ISSUES? THE 15 MILLION IN HEALTHCARE
KIND OF HELP FOR THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY AND P.F.A.S. COME TO
MIND. >> YEAH.
I HAVE YET TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T RELEASE THAT MONEY FOR
FOLKS IN THE NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.
I HEARD DIRECTLY FROM THE FOLKS UP THERE THAT THEY WANTED -- THE
LEGISLATION ITSELF JUST SAID HERE'S $15 MILLION FOR EMERGENCY
ROOM WORK. THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT WE NEED TO
DELIVER BABIES UP THERE. WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. SO IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT I DID A
PARTIAL VETO ON THAT AND MADE IT MORE REASONABLE FOR THE PEOPLE
UP THERE TO KIND OF GET THROUGH UNTIL THEY HAVE SOMETHING
PERMANENT. BUT THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE
JUST CANNOT SEE FIT TO SEND THEM THE MONEY.
IT'S JUST VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTING.
>> ON SCHOOLS, YOU SPOKE TO SCHOOL FUNDING EARLIER, BUT
VOTERS WILL BE ASKED ON THEIR BALLOTS ON O TUESDAY'S ELECTION
WHETHER TO SPEND $1 BILLION TO SUPPLEMENT FUNDING IN THEIR
SCHOOLS. VOTE "YES" ON THOSE?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFICULT.
AS I SAID BEFORE, WE DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF HAVING A HEAD
START ON THE ISSUE OF FUNDING, BUT FUNDING IS DIFFERENT IN
EVERY DIFFERENT -- YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY COMPLEX SITUATION IN
SOME SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY HAVE REVENUE AT HOME IN THEIR OWN
DISTRICT, SO IT'S A COMPLICATED THING.
POSITION, BUT WE HAVE 10 YEARS OR MORE OF ESSENTIALLY STARVING
OUR SCHOOLS AND WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO WAS -- THAT FINALLY GOT
THROUGH WAS ABOUT 50% OF WHAT THE ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS, AND SO
I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT THERE'S MORE SCHOOLS GOING THROUGH
REFERENDUM, THEY NEED IT. I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL BE
SUPPORTIVE, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT ANY TIME WE HAVE
A REFERENDUM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE INCREASING THE TAX HA -- THE LOL
TAXES. BUT PEOPLE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, BUT IN THE PAST, I'M ASSUMING IT'S THE SAME
CASE HERE, IS THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF WINNERS AND A HANDFUL
OF LOSERS AND UNFORTUNATELY THOSE LOSERS WILL LIKELY HAVE TO
MAKE SOME REALLY DIFFICULT DECISIONS, ESPECIALLY AS IT
RELATES TO THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS THEY HAVE.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMOUNTS THAT SEEK TO PROHIBIT
OUTSIDE GRANTS AND ELECTION ADMINISTRATION OR OUTSIDE
EXPERTS STEMMING FROM 2020 CONCERNS?
WERE LEGISLATIVE BILLS? >> BECAUSE THEY ARE UNNECESSARY
AND, FRANKLY, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO VOTE.
IT'S A CORE THING FOR ME AND I THINK MOST WISCONSINITES.
WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE INSTEAD OF DISCOURAGE THEM,
AND SO I FELT BOTH OF THOSE WERE HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
AND SO I VETOED THEM. NOW, I FIND IT AMAZING THAT,
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T OVERRIDE MY VETO, SOMEHOW THE LEGISLATURE
CAN PUT IT ON THE BALLOT AND MAKE IT PART OF THE
CONSTITUTION. THESE THINGS AREN'T
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES, BUT SO I WILL BE VOTING AGAINST THOSE
BECAUSE I VETOED THEM TO BEGIN WITH.
I THOUGHT BOTH OF THEM WOULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR
PEOPLE TO VOTE AND WE SHOULD BE MAKING IT -- MAKING IT A
FRIENDLY OPPORTUNITY. WE WANT PEOPLE TO VOTE.
WEPT MORE PEOPLE TO VOTE. SIMPLE AS THAT.
AND BOTH OF THESE ARE NOT HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION.
>> ALL RIGHT. WE LEAVE IT THERE.
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS, THANK YOU GOVERNOR TONY EVERS, THANK YOU