FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M ADITI DEBNATH.
>> TODAY, PEOPLE PACKED THE FISERV FORUM ARENA IN MILWAUKEE
TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF FORMER U.S.
SENATOR AND PHILANTHROPY PITTS HERB KOHL WHO PASSED AWAY TWO
DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS. SPECIAL PROJECTS JOURNALIST MURV
SEYMORE HAS MORE. >> SINCE HIS PASSING, THE FLAG
AT THE STATE CAPITOL AND OTHER BUILDINGS FLY AT HALF-STAFF IN
MEMORY OF HERB KOHL. >> THE BUCKS SUGGESTED HONORING
HER W STATUE OUTSIDE THE ARENA. MY UNCLE DECLINED SAYING I'M
JUST NOT A STATUE KIND OF GUY. >> FROM INSIDE THE ARENA HE
HELPED FUND, ENTER THE STREET THAT SHARES HIS NAME, HIS
MEMORIAL SERVICE. >> SAYING GOOD-BYE TO HERB AFTER
MORE THAN 80 YEARS OF SAYING HELLO AND SO MANY MORE WELCOMING
AND POSITIVE WORDS WAS REALLY DIFFICULT. >> IT'S FITTING
THE TRIBUTE TO COALE IS OPEN TO ALL OF
MILWAUKEE AND WISCONSIN, THE CITY WHERE HE GREW UP AND THE
STATE HE SERVED. PEOPLE PROUDLY REMEMBER THE
FOUR-TIME U.S. SENATOR WITH THE LEGENDARY SLOGAN, NOBODY'S
SENATOR BUT YOURS. FOLLOWING HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS
IN THE 1970s, COALE AND HIS BROTHER LED THE BOOMING GROWTH
OF COALE'S GROCERY STORES WHICH BEGAN IN MILWAUKEE AND GREW INTO
A BRAND OF OVER 1,100 DEPARTMENT STORES IN EVERY STATE BUT
HAWAII. HE'S BEEN A FAMILI AR FACE HERE
ON OUR POLITICAL PROGRAMMING. >> TONIGHT, WE'LL INTERVIEW
SUSAN ENGELEITER AND HERB KOHL. >> NEVER HEARD AND WITH NO KIDS,
THE FORMER LEADER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN
NEVER LOST AN ELECTION, NEVER TOOK CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
POLITICAL COMMITTEES OR SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS.
>> I SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE HELPING TO ENHANCE THE ECONOMY
OF WISCONSIN. >> ONE OF HIS BIGGEST INTERESTS,
BUYING AND SAVING THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS IN IS THE 85 WORTH AT THE
TIME AN UNHEARD OF $18 MILLION. HE SOLD THE PEOPLE IN 2014 FOR
$550 MILLION, DONATING $100 MILLION OF IT TOWARD BUILDING A
NEW ARENA TO HELP ONCE AGAIN KEEP THE TEAM FROM EVER LEAVING
HIS HOMETOWN. >> YOU DID IT WITHOUT THE TENS
AND ONES. >> HIS SPIRIT TO GIVE LIVES ON.
HIS TIME, HIS EFFORTS, HIS MILLIONS OF TOWARD FUNDING
TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND VARIOUS AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT PLACES
LIKE THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB. HE PUT HIS FOOT DOWN AND FORCED
MORE FUNDING FOR ENFORCEMENT TO FIGHT DRUG TRAFFICKERS AND
JUVENILE JUSTICE. HE LED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT
FORCING SAFETY LOCKS TO BE SOLD WITH GUNS.
HE HELPED LOWER THE PRICE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND PASSED
LAWS FOR BETTER BACKGROUND CHECKS AT NURSING HOMES TO
BETTER PROTECT SENIORS. IN WASHINGTON, HE PROUDLY FOUGHT
FOR FARMERS, ESPECIALLY WISCONSIN FARMERS.
>> HAVING SAFETY NETS THAT GO TO PRODUCERS SO THAT WHEN TIMES
REALLY GET BAD, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, THEY'RE NOT ALL
FORCED TO GO UNDER. >> AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN IN MADISON, HIS ALMA MATER, COALE'S $25 MILLION
DONATION HELPED BUILD THE 76-MILLION-DOLLAR KOHL CENTER,
AND THE LARGEST DONATION EVER, HERB KOHL SMILES DOING WHAT HE
MIGHT HAVE LO LOVED DOING MOST: GIVING.
REPORTING FOR HEAR AND NOW, I'M MURV SEYMORE.
>> HERB KOHL WAS 88. FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG