FOR "HERE & NOW," I'M ADITI DEBNATH. >> GOVERNOR TONY EVE
RS IS EXPECTED TO SIGN THE NEW BREWERS
STADIUM FUNDING PACKAGE, KEEPING THE TEAM IN MILWAUKEE UNTIL
2050, OR ANOTHER 27 YEARS. THE SLIM DOWNED STATE
CONTRIBUTION OF AN ESTIMATED NEARLY 366 MILLION DOLLARS WITH
THE HELP OF TICKET SURCHARGES HELPED PUSH BIPARTISAN APPROVAL
OF THE PLAN. STILL, THERE WAS ALSO BIPARTISAN
OPPOSITION TO SIGNING ON TO SUCH PUBLIC FUNDING OF A MAJOR LEAGUE
BALLPARK. SENATE MINORITY LEADER, MELISSA
GARD, HELPED NEGOTIATE THE TERMS. SHE JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. >> THANK YOU.
>> SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO KEEP THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS IN
MILWAUKEE? >> WELL, IT'S IMPO RTANT TO ME
THAT THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS ARE HERE IN WISCONSIN AND IN
MILWAUKEE. THEY'RE PART OF OU R CULTURE AND
AS A STATE THAT IS SUFFERING FROM AN AWFUL LOT OF OUT
MIGRATION OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, TO ME, IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT
THAT WE THINK ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF OUR CULTURE LEAVING OUR
STATE, MAKING SURE THAT THE BREWERS STAY HERE IN WISCONSIN,
NOT ONLY IS GOOD FOR THE TALKING POINTS AND, YOU KNOW, THE VISION
OF WHAT WISCONSIN IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT
IT'S GOOD-PAYING JOBS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AT THE STADIUM,
THAT IT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO COUNTIES AROUND THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE A
DECREASE IN SALES TAX FEES THAT THE STATE WILL COLLECT FROM
THOSE COMMUNITIES, THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE GOOD JOBS THAT
WILL GO INTO THE RENOVATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN AT THE
STADIUM. ULTIMATELY, IT HITS A LOT OF
MARKS ON HOW IT IS THAT WISCONSIN WILL BENEFIT FROM
KEEPING THE BREWERS HERE. >> WAS THE THREAT OF THEM
LEAVING REAL? >> ABSOLUTELY, YES.
IT WAS MADE VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT THE BREWERS HAD RECEIVED
MULTIPLE OFFERS FROM OTHER TEAMS ACROSS THE NATION -- OR OTHER
CITIES ACROSS THE NATION AND THAT, IN JANUARY, THEY WERE
GOING TO BE TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY COMMUNICATING WITH
THOSE LOCATIONS. >> WOULD YOU HAVE VOTED FOR IT
OR UND URGED YOUR MEMBERS TO IFN THE END THE BILL DID NOT REDUCE
THE STATE'S FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION? >> I BELIEVE T
HAT GOOD WORK WAS DONE EARLY ON BY GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS AND MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ASSEMBLY TO GET THE BILL TO A
BETTER PLACE THAN WHEN IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED, BUT I WAS ALSO
VERY CONFIDENT THAT I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VOICES OF MY
COLLEAGUES AND THE CONSTITUENTS WHO WE REPRESENT TO THE TABLE IN
THE SENATE AND MAKE IT EVEN BETTER, SO I'M GLAD I DIDN'T
HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE SALES OR
THE STATE REVENUE NUMBERS DOWN FOR THE INVESTMENT AND ALSO
NEGOTIATE SEATS AT THE TABLE FOR THE LOCALS, THE COUNTY AND THE
CITY, AND THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND MY CAUCUS AS
WELL. >> TELL ME ABOUT THE I MPORTANCE
OF THAT. >> THERE'S AN OLD SAYING.
IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE TABLE, YOU'RE ON THE TABLE, AND KNOWING
THAT THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE AND THE COUNTY OF MILWAUKEE ARE TWO
PARTNERS IN DELIVERING FUNDS TO KEEP THE BREWERS HERE IN THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN, I THINK IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY ALSO
ARE SITTING AT THE TABLE IN PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
>> STILL, AS WE MENTIONED, THERE WAS OPPOSITION TO THIS FROM
THOSE SAYING THAT IT'S A WINDFALL FOR THE BREWERS, TOO
MUCH PUBLIC FUNDING FOR A PROFITABLE SPORTS TEAM.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THOSE CONCERNS AND CRITICISMS?
>> CERTAINLY THAT IS A MORAL ISSUE NATIONWIDE WHEN IT COMES
TO PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS, BUT THIS IS THE TREND AND, YOU
KNOW, WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WORK WITH OUR
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS AND THEIR ASSOCIATIONS TO CHANGE
THAT DYNAMIC. BUT RIGHT NOW, IF WE WANT TO
KEEP THE BREWERS IN WISCONSIN, THERE HAD TO BE A STATE
CONTRIBUTION. WE DO HAVE A $ 7 BILLION SURPLUS,
AND FRANKLY, I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THAT WE HAD GONE DOWN
THE PATH THAT WAS PROPP PROPOSEY GOVERNOR EVERS BUT THE
REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
WE WERE ABLE TO BRING DOWN CONTRIBUTIONS BY TAX DOLLARS AND
TAKE SOME OF THAT PRESSURE OFF, ADD MORE VOICE TO THE TABLE FOR
OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND ALSO NEGOTIATE BENEFITS FOR OUR
COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE OF WISCONSIN THROUGH THIS DEAL.
IS IT EXACTLY PERFECT IN NO. BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
THAT WE KEEP THE BREWERS HERE IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND I'M
GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO GET THERE. >> WHAT ABOUT OTHER PRIORITIES
OF YOURS THAT COULD USE AN INFUSION OF CASH, PARTICULARLY
AS WE SPEAK ABOUT THAT SURPLUS, THOSE THAT YOU'VE ENUMERATED
INCLUDE EDUCATION, THE UW, INCREASING WAGES AND CHILDCARE
FUNDING. THIS BREWERS PACKAGE WAS SUCH A BIG DEAL AND A LOT OF
STATE MONEY WENT TOWARD IT. WHAT ABOUT THOSE OTHER
PRIORITIES OF YOURS? >> SO ABSOLUTELY.
WE KNOW THAT IN THE LEGISLATURE, WE CAN WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE
SAME TIME, THAT WE CAN WORK HARD ON MULTIPLE DIFFERENT POLICIES.
PROTECTING OUR TEAR AND WATER, ADDRESSING PO P.F.O.S.
CONTAMINATION, FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS AT ALL LEVELS, WHETHER
IT'S OUR K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS, OUR UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS,
UNSTICKING THE BLOCK THAT IS PREVENTING WORKERS AT OUR
UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS FROM RECEIVING THE WAGES THAT THEY
WERE PROMISED THROUGH OUR BUDGET. THESE ARE ALL PRIORI
TIES OF DEMOCRATS IN THE LEGISLATURE AND
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE PUSHING FOR THEM BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
WE HAD ANOTHER CONVERSATION THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN AND THAT WAS IN
REGARDS TO THE BREWERS. >> JUST VERY BRIEFLY, WITH LESS
THAN HALF A MINUTE LEFT, THERE WAS BIPARTISAN NEGOTIATION HERE.
DO YOU THINK THAT BODES WELL GOING FORWARD?
>> WE'VE HAD BIPARTISAN NEGOTIATIONS ON A NUMBER OF BIG
BILLS THIS SESSION, AND I DO MAINTAIN HOPE.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN WANT. THEY WANT US TO WORK