ALSO, LEGISLATIVE LEADERS TOOK
THEIR CASE TO THE WISCONSIN
STATE SUPREME COURT, CHALLENGING
THE GOVERNOR'S EXTENSION.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE WISCONSIN
TAVERN LEAGUE AND THE WISCONSIN
MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE, THE
STATE'S LARGEST BUSINESS TRADE
ASSOCIATION, PRESENTED THEIR
PLANS TO GET WISCONSIN WORKING
AGAIN.
"HERE AND NOW" SENIOR POLITICAL
REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ EXPLAINS
WHY SO MANY ARE WILLING TO RISK
LIVES TO REOPEN THE ECONOMY.
>> WE'VE BEEN HERE 55 YEARS.
>> CHRIS MARSICANO IS CO-OWNER
OF THE VILLAGE SUPPER CLUB IN
DELAVAN AND HE'S BEEN TRYING TO
KEEP HIS SENSE OF HUMOR THROUGH
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
>> HELL MUST HAVE FROZEN OVER
BECAUSE THE BARS IN WISCONSIN
ARE CLOSED.
>> HE REPRESENTS 5,000 BARS
ACROSS THE STATE, THE FACE OF A
MOVEMENT TO REOPEN WISCONSIN'S
BARS, A MONTH BEFORE THE "SAFER
AT HOME" ORDER EXPIRES.
>> OUR GOAL IS TO GET OUR PEOPLE
OPEN AND TO GET IT OPEN SAFELY.
>> THE TAVERN LEAGUE SAYS THEY
HAVE A PLAN TO OPEN SAFELY,
FOLLOWING SIMILAR SOCIAL
DISTANCING GUIDELINES AND SAFETY
PROTOCOLS THAT GROCERY STORES
AND OTHER ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES
ARE FOLLOWING.
>> I HAVE OVER SIX FAMILY
MEMBERS ON MY STAFF HERE, SO I
WANT TO MAKE SURE MY FAMILY IS
SAFE TOO.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING
TO ENDANGER THE PUBLIC, OUR
EMPLOYEES, OUR FAMILIES.
BUT WE CAN'T SURVIVE MUCH
LONGER.
>> WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY
TO GET PEOPLE SAFELY BACK TO
WORK.
OTHERWISE WE WILL HAVE AN
ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT WILL
ACTUALLY ECLIPSE THE PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS.
>> KURT BAUER IS PRESIDENT OF
WISCONSIN MANUFACTURERS AND
COMMERCE, THE STATE'S BIGGEST
BUSINESS LOBBY.
THEY HAVE A PLAN TO ALLOW
BUSINESSES TO REOPEN WHEN THEY
CAN DO SO SAFELY.
>> NOBODY IS SUGGESTING WE GO
BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE SAFE.
WE WANT TO PROTECT LIVES, BUT WE
ALSO HAVE A MANDATE TO PROTECT
LIVELIHOODS.
>> NO ONE WANTS TO REOPEN OUR
ECONOMY AS MUCH AS I DO, BUT IT
HAS TO BE MORE LIKE TURNING A
DIAL THAN FLIPPING A SWITCH.
>> EVERS INTRODUCED THE BADGER
BOUNCE BACK PLAN.
THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN WOULD
REQUIRE THE STATE TO HAVE ENOUGH
TESTS AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT TO DEMONSTRATE
COVID-19 IS UNDER CONTROL FOR
CONSECUTIVE 14-DAY PERIODS.
>> RIGHT NOW WISCONSIN DOES NOT
MEET THE CRITERIA THE WHITE
HOUSE ESTABLISHED TO START
REOPENING OUR STATE.
>> BUSINESS LEADERS UNDERSTAND
REOPENING WILL LEAD TO MORE
INFECTIONS, HOT SPOTS AND LIKELY
DEATHS.
BAUER SAYS THE GOAL OF "SAFER AT
HOME" WAS TO BEND THE CURVE OF
COVID-19 CASES, NOT AVOID DEATHS
ALTOGETHER.
>> THAT'S UNREALISTIC.
>> HE SAYS COVID-19 OUTBREAKS
AREN'T DIFFERENT FROM OTHER
HEALTH RISKS.
>> AGRICULTURE, MANUFACTURING,
CONSTRUCTION.
THOSE ARE HIGH-RISK SECTORS OF
THE ECONOMY FOR WORKPLACE
INCIDENCES.
NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING
PRECAUTIONS TO KEEP PEOPLE
HEALTHY.
>> BOTH BAUER AND MARSICANO SAY
THEY UNDERSTAND THE GOVERNOR IS
IN A TOUGH POSITION, BUT THEY'RE
WILLING TO ACCEPT THE RISK.
>> WE'RE DEALING WITH SO MANY
UNKNOWNS WITH THIS VIRUS.
I MEAN, I THINK MOST OF US ARE
FLYING IN THE DARK HERE.
>> WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE GOING
TO BE FLARE-UPS.
THAT'S UNAVOIDABLE UNTIL WE HAVE
A CURE, UNTIL WE HAVE A VACCINE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT WILL
OCCUR AND WE CAN'T WAIT.
>> REPORTING FROM MADISON, I'M
ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE AND NOW."
>> THE NEW "SAFER AT HOME" ORDER