>> A MAN WITH A LOADED GUN
DEMANDED TO SPEAK WITH GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS AT THE CAPITOL THIS
WEEK.
REPORTS SAY HE WAS ARRESTED AND,
AFTER POSTING BAIL, RETURNED TO
THEIBLE LATER THAT NIGHT WITH AN
ASSAULT RIFLE, AGAIN WANTING TO
SEE THE GOVERNOR OF THIS
INCIDENT IS THE LATEST IN A
GROWING TREND OF THREATS AGAINST
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, INCLUDING
ELECTION WORKERS.
A NEW BIPARTISAN BILL AIMS TO UP
PENALTIES FOR VERBAL OR PHYSICAL
THREATS TO ELECTION OFFICIALS AS
THEIR GROWING FREQUENCY SINCE
THE 2020 ELECTIONS HAS LAWMAKERS
SAYING ENOUGH.
FOR MORE, WE TURN TO ONE SUCH
ELECTION OFFICIALS WHO HAS SEEN
TOO MUCH OFTH, CLERK
CHRISTENSEN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> YOU POINTED OUT IN MILWAUKEE
COUNTY, THERE ARE MORE THAN 200
POLLING LOCATIONS AND EIGHT
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS THAT
PROCESS ABSENTEE BALLOTS AT
CENTRAL COUNT.
HOW VULNERABLE HAVE THE ELECTION
WORKERS BEEN AT THESE ELECTIONS?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THOSE
LOCATIONS, THEY ARE VISIBLE TO
THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S PART OF OUR DEMOCRACY, IS
TRANSPARENCY, SO PEOPLE ARE
ALLOWED TO COME AND OBSERVE.
THERE'S QUITE OFTEN, ESPECIALLY
WITH THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE,
THERE HAVE BEEN RECENTLY
INCIDENTS WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE
TRYING TO GET CLOSER THAN
THEY'RE ALLOWED, TRYING TO STOP
THE PROCESS, AND BASICALLY
HECKLING SOME OF THE ELECTION
WORKERS, AND I THINK THIS IS
BECOMING MORE PREVALENT AND IS
MUCH MORE HARASSING AND
THREATENING TO OUR ELECTION
WORKERS.
>> SO YOU TESTIFIED IN FAVOR OF
THIS BILL THAT WOULD UP THE
PENALTIES, THAT SINCE 2020,
SHOCKING INSTANCES, YOU SAID, OF
VIOLENT BEHAVIORS AND
INTIMIDATION HAVE BEEN DIRECTED
AT MILWAUKEE COUNTY ELECTION
OFFICIALS.
SO HELP OUR VIEWERS UNDERSTAND
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS.
LIKE WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF THIS?
>> WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, DURING THE
2020 RECOUNT, WHICH WE RAN HERE
IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY DOWNTOWN, I
RECEIVED DEATH THREATS, AND HAD
PICTURES OF GUNS AND COMMENTS
SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, "HOW ARE YOU
GOING TO FEEL WITH A BULLET IN
THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD?"
OF COURSE, WE REFER THOSE TO THE
OFFICIALS, TO LAW ENFORCEMENT,
BUT THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO
TRACK DOWN BECAUSE IT'S JUST
SOME COWARD, PROBABLY IN ANOTHER
STATE OR SOMEWHERE DOING
SOMETHING DIGITALLY.
HOWEVER, THOUGH, THAT CAUSES ALL
SORTS OF ISSUES AS FAR AS
SECURITY AND AS FAR AS
PREVENTION.
FOR EXAMPLE, DURING THAT
RECOUNT, I HAD TO HAVE SHERIFFS
DEPUTIES STATIONED AT MY HOME
DURING THAT RECOUNT, AND THAT
COST MONEY, AND THAT ALSO TAKES
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFF THE STREET.
SO THERE'S RAMIFICATIONS OF
THESE TYPES OF BEHAVIORS.
>> WELL, ABSOLUTELY.
ARE A LOT OF ELECTION OFFICIALS
DISIESD NOT TO DO -- DECIDING
NOT TO DO THIS ANYMORE BECAUSE
OF THOSE KINDS OF TIMTIONZ AND S
AND THREATS?
>> A LOT OF OUR WORKERS ARE
SENIOR CITIZENS WHO JUST LOVE
OUR COUNTRY AND WANT TO BE PART
OF THE PROCESS OF THEY'RE PAID
VERY LITTLE TO DO THIS, AND SO
IT'S REALLY OUT OF A LOVE AND
SERVICE TO YOUR COUNTRY.
AND CERTAINLY IF THEY FEEL
THREATENED, THEY'RE GOING TO
STEP AWAY, AND WE HAVE SEEN
THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE, FOR EXAMPLE.
>> WHAT ARE ELECTION OFFICIALS
THAT WORK AT THESE POLLING
PLACES IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY
TELLING YOU ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE
TO BE A POTENTIAL VICTIM OF THAT
KIND OF THING?
>> WELL, WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US
IS THAT THEY JUST DON'T FEEL
SAFE AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO
PROTECT THEM.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE
COURTHOUSE, WHERE MY ELECTION
COMMISSION IS, MY STAFF DOESN'T
FEEL AS SAFE AS THEY USED TO, SO
WE HAVE TO PUT IN ADDITIONAL
SECURITY BARRIERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS WEEK, WE
RECENTLY INSTALLED PANIC BUTTONS
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING UP
MORE PLEXIGLAS TO PROTECT THEM,
WHICH IS DISAPPOINTING.
YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO HAVE AN OPEN
OFFICE, BUT IF WE HAVE TO HAVE
SOME PLEXIGLAS UP BECAUSE WE'RE
AFRAID SOMEBODY IS GOING TO JUMP
THE COUNTER OR SHOOT SOMEBODY,
WHAT ARE WE LEFT TO DO?
HOW DO YOU RETAIN EMPLOYEES IF
THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE?
>> SO THIS BILL WOULD MAKE IT A
CLASS ONE FELONY TO INJURE AN
ELECTION OFFICIAL.
DO YOU THINK THAT WILL GIVE THE
NEEDED ADDITIONAL LAYER OF
SECURITY TO ELECTION OFFICIALS?
>> WELL, I CERTAINLY THINK IT
WILL HELP.
I THINK YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO
HAVE YOUR EXTREMISTS AND YOUR
BAD ACTORS, BUT I DO THINK THAT
PEOPLE WILL, HOPEFULLY, THINK
TWICE ABOUT ACTING IN SUCH A
MANNER BECAUSE IF IT'S MORE OF A
FELONY, I THINK -- I HOPE,
ANYWAY, THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL
GET THAT MESSAGE.
THIS BILL HAS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT
AND I THINK IT'S UNIVERSAL, JUST
PROTECTING THE SAFETY OF OUR
BORDERS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS.
IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE
CONTROVERSIAL.
IT SHOULD JUST BE A UNIVERSAL
NORM.
>> SO IN TERMS OF THE POLITICAL
CLIMATE, IT DOESN'T SEEMED TO
HAVE TONED DOWN A LOT SINCE
2020.
WHAT ARE YOU GIRDING FOR IN THE
UPCOMING ELECTIONS?
I MEAN, I KNOW YOU'VE SAID THAT
YOU ARE TAKING ADDITIONAL
SECURITY STEPS, BUT KIND OF
GIRDING FOR MORE OF THE SAME?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH.
WE ARE.
WE'RE VERY CONCERNED.
AND WE'RE THANKFUL THAT THE
LEGISLATURE IS WORKING TO PASS
SOMETHING SUCH AS THIS.
WE NEED EVERYBODY ON BOARD.
ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR THIS TYPE
OF ACTIVITY, BECAUSE WE ARE
NERVOUS.
AND I DO THINK THAT PROPER
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IS
IMPORTANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW,
HEY, THIS IS BIPARTISAN, THIS IS
NOT ACCEPTABLE, YOU KNOW,
ELECTION WORKERS ARE SERVANTS,
PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT ARE TRYING
TO HELP FACILITATE DEMOCRACY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.