The following program is a PBS Wisconsin original production.
>> Wild Spending and end game efforts in the state Supreme
Court election and the race to be the state's top educator.
[MUSIC] I'm Frederica Freyberg. Tonight
on "Here& Now" a look at the final push for candidates vying
to be the next Supreme Court justice. Plus, more on the race
for superintendent and a crucial referendum for Racine schools
and school funding. It's "Here& Now" for March 28th.
[MUSIC] >> Funding for "Here& Now" is
provided by the Focus Fund for Journalism and Friends of PBS
Wisconsin. >> The spring election is next
Tuesday, and the race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court
has now surpassed 2023 as the most expensive in U.S. History.
Political parties, outside groups and rich individuals on
both sides have ratcheted up spending that could approach
$100 million by the time it's over. Elon Musk figures
prominently in the spending spree, including saying he would
give several Wisconsin people $1 million each for either signing
on to a petition opposing activist judges or having voted
in the election. Legal action against this is pending.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has endorsed Conservative Brad
Schimel and Barack Obama publicly throws his support to
liberal Susan Crawford. Here and now, senior political reporter
Zac Schultz tells us, if it feels a little bit like a replay
of last fall's election. That's not an accident.
>> The radio money, the news. >> In December, Brad Schimel
held a campaign event featuring his band four on the floor.
[MUSIC] While this was billed as a
campaign kickoff, in reality, Schimel had been running for a
seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for more than a year at
that point. >> Over this 12 months, I have
now campaigned in 65 counties. >> He relaunched his campaign in
December because prior to that, most of the attention was on the
race for president. Even though Supreme Court elections are
technically nonpartizan. The room was full of Republican
Party officials and volunteers, and Schimel was not shy about
connecting his campaign to the larger conservative movement.
>> I've never seen our side. This motivated or this united.
>> It was clear the strategy was to keep the momentum from Donald
Trump's win in November and carry it all the way to April
1st. >> 3.4 million Wisconsinites
showed up to the polls to vote for president, but we expect
only 2 million to show up on April 1st. That means whichever
campaign can can best retain their voters from November will
win in April. >> A month later, Susan Crawford
held a campaign event in green Bay, introducing herself to a
crowd at the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Brown
County. >> I think you're all here
because you know how important this race is.
>> The mood in this room was different, something Crawford
recognized as a hangover from Kamala Harris's loss in
November. after the November election, I
did sense some some people that I was talking to just being very
disappointed by the outcome of that election.
>> I can definitely tell you it wasn't a great experience.
>> Landiran Kern RFK, Jr. Was at Crawford's Green Bay event and
can testify to feeling crushed by November's election.
>> I would definitely say when it came to myself and other
students and even adults, morale was very, very low.
>> We first introduced you to Landiran last summer as he
attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. As one of
the youngest members of the Wisconsin delegation. He started
his freshman year at UW green Bay, trying to convince other
students to vote. But the election nearly pushed him out
of politics altogether. >> It's like, well, why should I
go out and vote? Why should I go and canvass? Why should I help
anyone besides myself? I think coming off of last fall, we were
pretty well positioned heading in into this spring.
>> It was just the opposite for John Beauchamp.
>> With a favorable result of the November election, with
Trump winning. I think that really kind of propelled the
momentum forward quite a bit. And a lot of people were just
ready and willing to get back out there and win again.
>> John is with the Republican Party of Jefferson County and
the young Republicans. We first introduced you to John at the
RNC in Milwaukee. He's part of the political machine trying to
convert Trump voters into Schimel voters.
>> I think that Schimel is in probably a better place than any
Republican conservative candidate I've seen in a long
while here in Wisconsin. >> While the Democrats have to
worry about low morale, Republicans have to worry about
complacency, with Trump supporters thinking his election
was the last they needed to worry about.
>> There's the, of course, that natural tendency to want to just
rest and let's just, you know, take a little break here.
>> Historically, Wisconsin Supreme Court elections are
sleepy affairs, with turnout just a fraction of presidential
elections. But 2023 changed everything. That race saw
turnout reach 41%, more than double the average over the last
decade. Schimmel's prediction of 2 million voters this spring
would be 43% turnout. A new record.
where I'm out meeting with voters, talking about the
importance of this race, and I'm finding that people are plugged
in. They haven't lost. They haven't lost an ounce of the
momentum from November. >> Crawford says the focus has
returned for her supporters. >> For events that I'm attending
now. People seem really energized and really
enthusiastic. They are also, I think, nervous and afraid by,
you know, just a sense that rights are under attack in our
country and feeling like they want to do something about that.
>> I was like, I can't just sit here on the sidelines and allow
this to happen. >> Landiran is back on board,
working with other organizers to canvass votes for Crawford,
convincing his college friends that losing an election doesn't
mean you quit voting. >> Those same friends now, they
felt like it was a waste of their vote. And so it's me
trying to ensure them that I know the system seems flawed,
and I know it seems like it was unfair, but that election cycle
is over. We have to do what we can now, and that's to get Susan
Crawford in. means knocking doors and making
calls. Just like last fall. >> I know that we seem like a
burden to come and to knock on your door, but it's that
important. And I've been saying that since the presidential
cycle that it's that important that you go out and vote. It's
very easy to forget that the ground game matters, that
getting out there, doing the old fashioned, knocking on someone's
door, making the phone calls, sending the postcards out, it
all matters. >> Reporting from Madison. I'm
Zach Schultz for "Here& Now". >> President Donald Trump this
week signed an executive order requiring people to provide
proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. The
president's authority to enact this and other parts of the
order are in question and expected to be met with legal
challenges. The executive order does not affect Tuesday's
election in Wisconsin, but experts expressed concern over
potential voter suppression, especially in communities
already marginalized like tribal nations. A number of tribal
issues could be impacted by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
>> What are some issues that are pertinent that you feel when
you're out in the community that are pertinent to Wisconsin
natives, that would make them want to come out for this very
unique Wisconsin Supreme Court election?
>> Sovereignty. Tribal sovereignty. Protecting our
rights to govern ourselves. Protecting our culture. And what
goes with the water? Protection is our wild rice beds. Our
sturgeon and walleye. Ancient spawning fishing areas. That's
also up that it's a big concern for our people. I think that the
Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Act is another issue where
native children are placed with fit and willing indigenous
relatives to help them preserve their culture stability and
preventing trauma, because before they were normally placed
with non-native families. >> Our tribal IDs a valid form
of ID. >> Yes they are. Isn't that
great? I. >> Love it. Tribal IDs are valid
form. And so when we're registering people, a lot of
people on tribal ID, and that's just awesome. I love doing that.
It's just awesome I love it. >> So tell me about
historically, some of the challenges of getting Wisconsin
natives the messaging to vote. And then actually out to vote.
>> So we've had voter disenfranchisement where people
are actually faced some challenges where they're maybe
their ID or tribal ID won't be accepted or they're turned away,
or the local election commission just gives them the incorrect
information. And I can give you an example with that. I
experienced about it was in 2014, I actually moved to a
Milwaukee suburb, and I went to vote, and I was registering and
had all my information. And she was I was real excited and she
was asking me all the questions. You know, name, date, where you
live now, age. And then she wanted to know where I was born.
And I told her I was born on the Menominee reservation. And she
said, you're Indian. And I said, yes, ma'am, I am. And she said,
you can't vote. Indians aren't allowed to vote. And I just
looked at her and said, ma'am, I can't vote. I voted before. And
she said, Indians can't vote. You're not allowed. And I think
she was really confused. So she went to the head of the poll and
I could see she got a little talking to, and she came back
and she said, ma'am, I just want to tell you, I was following
policy procedure. This wasn't racist. And then I voted. She
finally let me vote. I had the right idea, etc. But you know,
that story I tell because people take voting for granted and we
shouldn't. But also we have people that may face this that I
want them to know. I don't care how old you are, if you're just
turned 18 or if you're 90, if people treat you like that, you
have the right to vote and you make sure you let people know
that you're not going to leave until you vote.
>> Yet another question will appear on Tuesday's ballot,
asking Wisconsin voters to amend the state constitution requiring
photo identification to vote. State law already says voters
must present a valid photo ID, and this ballot question would
not change existing requirements but enshrine voter ID in the
state constitution, making it more difficult for lawmakers to
alter or undo. The author of the amendment. Republican
Representative Patrick Snyder says it's necessary to, quote,
ensure that the people of Wisconsin have full confidence
in the security and integrity of Wisconsin elections. The ACLU of
Wisconsin opposes the amendment, saying Wisconsin already has one
of the strictest voter ID laws in the country, creating
barriers for people to vote. And that, quote, the legislature
would be precluded from permitting additional categories
of photo identification and ties the hands of the legislature to
respond to future advancements in technology as methods of
identification evolve. Also on the ballot in Tuesday's election
is the statewide race for the next superintendent of the
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. In this contest,
incumbent Superintendent Jill Underly faces education
consultant Brittany Kinser to see who voters will choose to
lead the state's public education system. Steven Potter
has this report. >> But again, we need to make
sure kids can read, write and do math. We all want the same
thing. We want strong schools. >> In the race for State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, a position that
oversees all of Wisconsin's 400 different public school
districts. Both candidates say they want what's best for kids.
>> I'm running because I want to make public education better for
all kids here in Wisconsin. I want us to really focus on
educating our children and making sure that we are
transparent about where we're at.
for state Superintendent challenger Brittany Kinser and
incumbent Jill Underly are two very different things. And those
different philosophies for how the state's education system
should be led comes in part from differences in the two
candidates educational experiences.
Chicago public schools for ten years.
>> I have opened up my own school where I received an award
from then Superintendent and Governor Evers for beating the
odds here in Milwaukee. And I've also been an executive director
of a charter network and a CEO of a nonprofit. And now I'm
running an initiative to help more children in Wisconsin
become fluent in reading. As the incumbent, I feel.
>> Like I have all the experience. I'm a lifelong
public servant. I'm a lifelong teacher, an educator. I started
teaching social studies, and then I worked my way through
different systems, K-12 as well as higher education and in state
service. I was also an elementary principal, a high
school principal, and a district superintendent here in
Wisconsin. >> New to this election is a
major debate over the standards set by the state Department of
Public Instruction. A debate over how to measure student
achievement in reading and math. It started last year when
current Superintendent Underly made changes to the state
academic testing standards. She says updating these learning
benchmarks is a routine practice.
>> Every few years. >> We do change standards. We
take out some outdated ones and we add new ones, and that was
not unusual. I think the point that became contentious was that
we had changed the, the, the grading scale because the
scoring scale previously was aligned to a different test.
>> But Republicans in the legislature say that Underly
lowered standards to make more students look like they were
doing better academically. Last week, they sent a bill to the
governor requiring DPI to return to using the old academic
standards. This week, he vetoed that bill. Brittany Kinser says
the new standards had pushed her to run for superintendent.
>> We should not be lowering standards. That's when I got
into the race. So it's showing more kids are are reading
proficiently than they really are. Which isn't being honest
and it's not being truthful about where our kids are. It
also because she lowered the standards we cannot compare to
how we were doing before Covid. And we know a lot of children
fell behind. for that. Folks are saying that
you've lowered standards. This is dumbing down our students.
What's your reply to that? >> I absolutely did not do any
of that. And I think it's outrageous. It's an outright
lie. I have very high standards and I always push for very high
standards for our for our students and for our staff. And
we actually raised standards when we looked at this last
iteration of the test, we added standards in math and science
and increased standards by adding a literacy score for our
students. >> Another super charged
political topic that divides Kinser and Underly is the
state's school voucher system. In operation for decades and
often referred to as school choice. The program allows
taxpayer funds to pay for private school funds that would
normally go to that student's public school. Kinser is an
advocate for school choice and vouchers. Underly is not.
>> I am the only school choice. Candidate, and I believe that
there should be transparency across all of the schools for
all of our children. We're talking about children who are
living below a certain income. Families, and they're receiving
a scholarship to attend a private school. And from the
testing data, the schools around some of where our families are
living are not. So, you know, the best option for their
children. So I believe that parents should have that option.
>> So school choice actually sounds like a pretty nice thing,
doesn't it? Like who shouldn't have choice, right? But really,
what it is in Wisconsin is it's privatization of public schools.
>> So where do you stand on the voucher school system? Do you
want to see it eliminated? >> I ultimately yes, I would
like to see it eliminated. We are spending so much money on it
that it's taking money from our public schools.
>> And to that matter of money, it is a budget year for the
state. As superintendent, Underly has requested more than
$4 billion for the state's public school system over the
next two years. She wants an increase in per student funding
and wants to get closer to fully funding special education costs.
>> It's a lot. It is a lot, but it.
schools have been underfunded, chronically. They have been
underfunded and undermined for the past 15 years. And it's
evident by the amount of school districts that are going to
referendum. And these referendums are large amounts of
money. >> Like Underly, Kinser wants to
see an increase in general per student and special education
funding. However, she says that Underly proposal is simply too
much. >> I think it's unrealistic that
we're going to ask for $4 billion when that is the whole
surplus and there's many other, you know, education is my issue,
but there are lots of issues in the state.
>> While it will ultimately be up to those in state government
to decide how much the state's public school system receives,
it will be up to voters on April 1st to decide who leads the
state school system, helping determine the future for its
students. Reporting from Madison. I'm Steven Potter for
"Here& Now". >> A closer look now at turning
to voters to boost funding for public K-12 schools. On April
1st, voters in 89 districts across the state will see school
spending referendums on the ballot. In Racine, the city's
public schools face one of those pivotal votes Tuesday, as the
debate over school choice and funding methods intensifies.
Here and now, reporter Aditi Debnath has more.
>> Home to the state's fifth largest public school district,
Racine finds itself at the center of Wisconsin's ongoing
education funding debate. On April 1st, voters will decide on
a crucial $190 million referendum that could determine
the future of Racine Unified School District.
>> Well, right now, what we're asking from our community is to
allow us to hold the budget we have right now.
>> Soren Gajewski is the superintendent of Racine
Unified. >> So the budget that I have
this year, the staffing that I have this year, the programs
that we have right now, we want to be able to maintain that.
>> That budget, staffing and programing is all at risk if
taxpayers vote no. >> It's kind of scary to think
about what it might be, you know, is it going to be school
nurses? Is it going to be social workers, counselors?
>> Ryan Knudsen is an eighth grade teacher and parent at
Racine Unified. He says he's voting yes on April 1st.
>> I think anybody would agree. We want local workers. We want a
good local economy. And I think it starts with the public school
system. road from that K-8 public school
is a private school called Saint Catherine's.
about remember why your mom and dad want you to come to the
school and remember why it's special.
36 schools in the Racine Parental Choice Program, which
allows parents to use taxpayer dollars as vouchers for private
school education. >> Well, it's a wonderful
opportunity for parents now across the state to have a
choice in where they would like to send their child to school.
>> Brenda White was the former president of Siena Catholic
Schools. The system of seven private schools in Racine that
includes Saint Catherine's. Currently, she serves on the
board of School Choice Wisconsin.
>> Very key to why parents choose a private school is
because we can determine what that curriculum instruction is
going to look like. >> So under the.
>> Educational freedom is a main argument from supporters of
school choice. But the program is a point of contention between
supporters like white and critics concerned about its
impact on public school funding. >> People choosing to have
different types of education is a part of being in a free
country, but we have tax dollars that are public, is assuming is
going to their public schools and being represented by the
school board and in the voucher situation, that is not happenin.
>> Gajewski refers to the way voucher schools are funded from
the state's Total education coffers. For example, this year
the state's general aid to Racine Unified Public Schools is
more than $180 million. The estimated cost of the Racine
Parental Choice program is more than 44 million. That leaves
property taxpayers to backfill the funding siphoned to private
schools through district referenda.
>> I think it's important to point out that decoupling and
the way the state funding is works now is a separate issue
from the referenda. >> White says the solution is to
separate public and voucher school funding in the state
budget, referred to as decoupling public schools would
be funded with property tax dollars and voucher schools with
general purpose tax revenue. White claims this would protect
public schools from losing funding to private schools.
>> It's a win win to both the district who would increase
their state Aids, and it would be a win for property taxpayers
who would have that burden lessened.
>> The state Senate failed to pass the bill. That would have
decoupled Racine schools last year before it even made it to
the floor. Critics like Knudson have concerns over further
protecting choice programs in state law.
>> I think that program is it's very damaging to public schools
when we when we could be allocating resources to public
of the community. >> The debate in Racine reflects
a broader statewide and national conversation about the role of
public versus private education. But regardless of what
conversations are happening in Madison, Superintendent Gajewski
faces a looming $24 million budget deficit next week. If his
referendum fails. >> This year, once again,
referendum are showing up on the ballot across the state,
including our neighbors to the South, that had a referendum a
few weeks back in February that did not pass.
>> Kenosha schools, their neighbors to the south, failed
to pass a $115 million ballot referendum.
>> 80% of our budget is staff, and that's typically where the
cuts and reductions are going to be.
Unified School District, the only Wisconsin school to fail
its referendum in the February election. This came months after
Wisconsin schools like Kenosha ran out of the federal Esser
dollars meant to help schools with setbacks coming out of the
Covid 19 pandemic. Weiss now faces a $19 million deficit.
>> The Esser funding, the way that was set up, it was primed
to have school districts have to go to referendum in order to
continue to operate. >> Wisconsin received $1.5
billion in Esser funding in 2021. At the time, the
Republican controlled legislature gave $0 increases in
per pupil state aid to schools, counting federal dollars as
state funding. In the current budget, per pupil revenue did
increase by $325, but the Esser money ran out this past
September, leaving the already stretched thin public schools to
cut costs. >> The biggest cut was in staff
about $10 in staff last year. >> We reduced the number of
buildings that we had in the schools that we operated in by
seven, and that saved us about 9 or $10 million.
>> As April 1st approaches, the eyes of educators and
policymakers across Wisconsin will be on Racine.
>> This funding gap is not a Racine Unified situation. It is
a state of Wisconsin situation. So it is there. It will be there
next year and the year after and the year after. It has to be
resolved. Aditi Debnath. For "Here& Now".
>> For more on this and other issues facing Wisconsin, visit
our website at PBS Wisconsin. Org and then click on the news
tab. And after the polls close Tuesday, visit Wisconsin
Vote.org for the latest election results. That's our program for
tonight. I'm Frederica Freyberg. Have a good weekend.
>> Funding for "Here& Now" is provided by the Focus Fund for
Journalism and Friends of PBS
Wisconsin.