>> DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS SAYS HE'S HAD ENOUGH AND
SO THIS WEEK HE FILED A SUIT
AGAINST THE LEGISLATURE SAYING
REPUBLICANS ARE HOLDING HOSTAGE
PAY RAISES FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS
UW STATE EMPLOYEES.
WE SHOULD NOTE PBS WISCONSIN IS
PART OF UW-MADISON.
SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, ZAC
SCHULTZ, HAS MORE.
>> EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE
REPUBLICAN LED JOINT COMMITTEE
ON EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
COCHAIRED BY ASSEMBLY SPEAKER
ROBIN VOS, SIGNED OFF ON RAISES
FOR ALL STATE WORKERS EXCEPT
EMPLOYEES OF THE UNIVERSITIES OF
WISCONSIN.
IT WAS THE LAST STRAW FOR
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TONY EVERS.
>> THE REPUBLICANS DECIDED THAT
35,000 PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE
UW SYSTEM SHOULDN'T GET A RAISE
WITHOUT HAVING ANY LEGISLATION
THAT GIVES THEM THAT AUTHORITY.
THAT'S JUST [BLEEP], AND SO THAT
WAS THE DEFINING MOMENT RIGHT
THERE.
>> Reporter: THE RAISES WERE
ALREADY APPROVED IN THE STATE'S
BIENNIAL BUDGET.
THE LAWSUIT, BROUGHT BY ATTORNEY
GENERAL JOSH KAUL ON BEHALF OF
THE GOVERNOR ALLEGES THIS AND
OTHER ACTIONS BY G.O.P.-LED
COMMITTEES ARE VIOLATING THE
WISCONSIN CONSTITUTION AND
INTRUDING INTO EXECUTIVE POWERS.
EVERS FURTHER SAYS REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATORS ARE
UNCONSTITUTIONALLY OBSTRUCTING
BASIC FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT.
>>> OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS
FROM REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED
COMMITTEES INCLUDE THE JOINT
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE HAS
REPEATEDLY BLOCKED CONSERVATION
PROJECTS, SELECTED UNDER THE
KNOLLS-NELSON STEWARDSHIP
PROGRAM AND THE JOINT COMMITTEE
FOR ADMINISTRATIVE RULES IS
BLOCKING UPDATES TO THE STATE'S
COMMERCIAL BUILDING STANDARDS
AND ETHICS STANDARDS FOR
LICENSED PROFESSIONALS.
>> THERE'S NOTHING IN LAW OR THE
BUDGET THAT WAS PASSED, WHICH IS
LAW, TO SAY THAT THE SPEAKER OR
THE REPUBLICANS IN GENERAL,
LEADERSHIP CAN SAY, WELL, THAT
4%, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT
OR YOU MIGHT GET IT IF YOU DO X,
Y AND Z.
NONE OF THAT IS IN LAW AND SO
THAT IS AN ILLEGALLY ACT.
THAT PUSHED ME OVER THE EDGE.
THE OTHER ISSUES, I DO BELIEVE
IT'S JUST A FURTHER EFFORT THAT
STARTED BEFORE I BECAME GOVERNOR
AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE
DONE, NOT APPROVING MY
APPOINTEES OR NOT -- YOU KNOW,
ALL OF THAT.
IT'S ALL PART OF IT.
BUT WHEN YOU MESS WITH 35,000
PEOPLE AT ONE TIME, THAT'S
ENOUGH.
>> Reporter: ARE YOU LOOKING
FOR THE SUPREME COURT, IF THEY
TAKE THIS CASE, TO MAKE A BROAD
RULING?
OR WOULD YOU BE SATISFIED IF
THEY ISSUED A NARROW RULING,
SPECIFIC ON UW EMPLOYEES OR ANY
OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES?
>> I THINK THE LEGISLATURE -- IT
WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE
LEGISLATURE TO HAVE A BROAD IDEA
OF WHAT THEIR AUTHORITY IS AND
WHAT'S MINE.
THAT WOULD BE THE BEST
ALTERNATIVE, BUT AT THE END OF
THE DAY, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE PAY PEOPLE WHAT THEY
SHOULD BE PAID.
SO I THINK THE BEST ALTERNATIVE
WOULD BE A BROAD SWEEPING OF
THINGS SAYING THIS IS WHAT YOUR
JOB IS, THIS IS WHAT THE
GOVERNOR'S JOB IS.
START BEHAVING.
>> Reporter: YOU MENTIONED THE
LAME DUCK LAWS AND SOME OF THESE
ACTIONS YOU'RE REFERRING TO CAME
OUT OF THE LAME DUCK LAW.
SO IS THIS IN EFFECT ANOTHER
LAWSUIT ATTEMPT TO RE-LITIGATE
SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WERE
PASSED INTO LAW UNDER THE
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, BECAUSE OF ACTIONS,
WE'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT THEY ARE
WRONG, AND SO IF WE HAVE TO MAKE
SOME CHANGES, THAT'S FINE.
I THINK, BROADLY SPEAKING, THE
WAY THE REPUBLICANS HAVE
ESSENTIALLY TAKEN MORE AND MORE
POWER OVER TIME FROM THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH, WE HAVE TO
STOP THAT AND WE HAVE TO
UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE COEQUAL
PARTS OF GOVERNMENT, JUDICIAL
EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE, AND
THAT'S THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO
WORK.
IT'S NOT WORKING THAT WAY NOW.
>> WOULD YOU HAVE FILED THIS
LAWSUIT UNDER A DIFFERENT MAKEUP
OF THE SUPREME COURT?
>> OH, YES.
GOSH, YES.
OH GOSH, YES.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE
THAN FOUR VOTES ON THIS ONE.
I MEAN, PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO
UNDERSTAND THAT IS THERE IS
BROAD AUTHORITY IN ALL THREE
BRANCHES.
SO ABSOLUTELY.
THIS RECENT THING, WHETHER NEW
JUDGES OR NOT, THAT'S IRRELEVANT
TO THIS.
WE WOULD HAVE FILED THAT
REGARDLESS.
>> Reporter: SPEAKER VOS SAID
IN A STATEMENT, TODAY'S LAWSUIT
BY GOVERNOR EVERS AND ATTORNEY
GENERAL CALL IS AN EAMPT TO
ELIMINATE THE 4% RAISES GIVE TO
ALL STATE EMPLOYEES GIVEN BY THE
STATE LEGISLATURE AND DEVIN
LEMAHIEU SAID THE GOVERNOR IS
WORKING TO DIMINISH THE VOICE OF
WISCONSINITES BY LIMITING THE
AUTHORITY OF THE LEGISLATURE AND
UNDULY STRENGTHENING HIS OWN
ADMINISTRATION.
YOU HAVE DEALT WITH THE
LEGISLATURE RULES EVEN AS YOUR
TIME AS SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION.
HOW LONGSTANDING ARE SOME OF
THESE ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO
THE BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN THE
EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATURE?
>> I'D SAY IT ACCELERATED WITH
MY ELECTION.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT
OF AN ISSUE GOING FORWARD, BUT
BECAUSE IT'S JUST KEPT GETTING
BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER, IT
BECAME A THING AND WE HAVE TO
DEAL WITH IT.
SO I'M GLAD WE FILED THIS SUIT
AND WE ANTICIPATE WINNING THIS
SUIT.
>> A YEAR AGO, YOU WERE TALKING
ABOUT A RESET WITH REPUBLICANS
IN THE LEGISLATURE.
SINCE THEN, THEY HAVE VOTED DOWN
YOUR APPOINTEES AND YOU FILED
THIS LAWSUIT.
WAS AID RESET EVER REALISTIC?
WAS IT EVER GOING TO BE LIMITED,
OR IS IT JUST THE CURRENT STATE
OF POLITICS?
>> IT'S THE CURRENT STATE OF
POLITICS, BUT WE SIGNED THE
BUDGET.
WE BROUGHT SHARED REVENUE TO
MILWAUKEE AND OTHER PLACES
ACROSS THE STATE, EVERY
MUNICIPALITY.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME SUCCESSES.
BUT WE CAN'T STAND FOR IS PEOPLE
NOT FOLLOWING THE LAW AND
FOLLOWING WHAT WE'VE AGREED TO,
AND WE DID NOT AGREE TO WHAT THE
SPEAKER IS DOING NOW.