FOR "HERE AND NOW."
>> THESE WORDS FROM GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS THIS WEEK.
QUOTE, "WE MUST REJECT THE
EFFORTS OF THOSE WHO SEEK TO
UNDERMINE AND DISTRACT FROM THE
PAIN OF GENERATIONS OF
INJUSTICE."
"WE MUST CONDEMN ALL THOSE WHO
ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACK
LIVES.
WE MUST OFFER OUR COMPASSION,
OUR SUPPORT.
BUT MOST OF ALL, WE MUST OFFER
OUR ACTION."
AND GOVERNOR TONY EVERS JOINS US
ONCE AGAIN IN OUR WEEKLY
ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW AND THANKS
VERY MUCH FOR DOING SO.
>> THANKS, FREDERICA.
>> SO THE TANGIBLE ACTION THAT
YOU WANT TO TAKE COMES IN THE
FORM OF A LEGISLATIVE BILL THAT
WOULD MAKE THE PRIMARY DUTY OF
ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PRESERVE
THE LIFE OF ALL INDIVIDUALS AND
THAT DEADLY FORCE IS TO BE USED
ONLY AS A LAST RESORT.
WHY IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL AN
IMPORTANT FIRST STEP?
>> YEAH.
AND THAT'S GREAT, BECAUSE THAT'S
WHAT -- THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT US
TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
OBVIOUSLY, THE HORRIBLE MURDER
THAT WE SAW IN MINNEAPOLIS WITH
GEORGE FLOYD AND HOW THAT
HAPPENED BECAUSE THERE WASN'T
THE ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE IN
PLACE AS IT RELATES TO POLICE
RELATIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITH
FOLKS.
AND SO, YES, USE OF FORCE IS
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
IT'S AN ASSEMBLY BILL.
IT'S ALREADY THERE.
IT'S REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD,
MAKING SURE THOSE STANDARDS
EXIST SO BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND
THE POLICE KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED
OF THEM.
>> NOW, IT CERTAINLY --
>> I'M SORRY.
BUT IT IS ONLY A FIRST STEP.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW THAT
GOES, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY POLICE
RELATIONS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REFORM, HOUSING.
YOU NAME IT, WE HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY NOW TO REALLY MOVE
THE NEEDLE.
>> SPECIFIC TO THAT USE OF FORCE
BILL, IT IS CERTAINLY BEING
CRITICIZED BY THE CHAIR OF THE
STATE SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE, WHO IS OUR NEXT GUEST
ON THIS PROGRAM.
HE SAYS IT WAS WRITTEN, QUOTE,
BY LIBERAL ACTIVISTS WHO DON'T
KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT POLICE WORK.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?
>> WELL, IT IS -- IT WAS WRITTEN
IN LARGE PART BY THE PEOPLE THAT
WERE -- THAT WERE PROTESTING
USING THE FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SENATOR
HAS LOTS MORE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
AND POLICE EXPERIENCE THAN
OTHERS DO.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE
CAN'T MOVE FORWARD ON SOMETHING
AROUND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
POLICE.
90%, 95%, YOU NAME THE HIGH
NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WORK IN
THE PROFESSION ARE GOOD.
WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
PEOPLE THAT, FRANKLY, NEED SOME
HELP IN ESTABLISHING STANDARDS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A FORMER
POLICE OFFICER TO UNDERSTAND
THAT.
>> WHAT ABOUT MANDATING AND
FUNDING IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING
FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, SOMETHING
LIKE THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF GOOD
IDEAS ON THE TABLE.
AND AS I TALK TO PEOPLE ALL
ACROSS THE STATE, BUT
PARTICULARLY IN MADISON AND
MILWAUKEE, ON THE GROUND, I'M
NOT TALKING ABOUT ELECTED
OFFICIALS, PEOPLE THAT ARE
LIVING THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY,
THEY SAY AND THEY ARE ACCURATE,
THERE ARE ENOUGH BLUE RIBBON
COMMISSIONS AND ENOUGH TASK
FORCES AND ENOUGH OTHER THINGS
THAT THERE ARE IDEAS OUT THERE
THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO
GETTING THE BEST IDEAS,
ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE PEOPLE
THAT ARE ON THE GROUND.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE TO GET
SUPPORT FROM LEGISLATORS.
BUT THIS SHOULD BE A BIPARTISAN
ISSUE.
>> THURSDAY YOU DECLARED RACISM
A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
WHAT TANGIBLE STEPS WILL YOU
TAKE TO HEAL THAT CRISIS?
>> IT'S BEEN LAID THERE DURING
THIS PANDEMIC, WHICH GROUPS ARE
INORDINATELY AND
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
THE VIRUS.
IT'S AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
IT'S HISPANICS AND OTHER PEOPLE,
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THIS A LONG TIME, FRANKLY.
I STILL BELIEVE THAT TAKING THE
MEDICAID EXPANSION MONEY THAT WE
COULD HAVE DONE IN THE HAS
BUDGET WOULD HAVE FREED UP LOTS
OF MONEY FOR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT
WOULD HAVE DIRECTLY IMPACTED THE
LIVES OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THIS
STATE AND HELPED TO REDUCE THAT
DISPROPORTION
DISPROPORTIONALTY.
TO ME IT'S UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE
HAVE NOT TAKEN THE MONEY OUR
TAXPAYERS HAVE SENT TO
WASHINGTON D.C. AND WE'RE
GETTING NO BENEFIT FROM THAT.
>> WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON
DEFUNDING THE POLICE AND PUTTING
THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS THINGS LIKE
PUBLIC HEALTH, HOUSING OR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON BEHALF
OF PEOPLE OF COLOR?
>> YEAH.
I'VE BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION A
LOT, AND POSSIBLY EVEN SOME OF
THE FOLKS YOU'RE TALKING TO
TONIGHT ARE GOING TO BE TALKING
ABOUT THAT.
BUT IF DEFUNDING MEANS REMOVE
FUNDING FROM POLICE OFFICERS AND
THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, THE
GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, OF
COURSE I'M NOT AGAINST THAT.
WHO'S GOING TO BE ARRESTING THE
PERSON DRIVING DRUNK ON THE
BELTLINE?
WE HAVE TO HAVE OFFICERS TO HELP
US GET THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
BUT IF SOME OF THAT MONEY CAN BE
USED FOR IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING,
PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP FOR OFFICERS
THAT ARE WORKING UNDER TRAUMATIC
CIRCUMSTANCES ALL THE TIME,
REAPPRAISING HOW THAT MONEY IS
SPENT TO HELP THEM BECOME BETTER
POLICE OFFICERS, I'M ALL FOR
THAT.
>> AMONG THE OTHER DEMANDS, AS
YOU SAID, THAT WAS ONE, AND WE
WILL HEAR ABOUT THAT TONIGHT
FROM SOME PEOPLE.
BUT AMONG THE OTHER DEMANDS FROM
ANTIRACIST ACTIVISTS AND
ADVOCATES IS TO WITHDRAW THE
NATIONAL GUARD ACTIVATED IN THE
MIDST OF PROTESTS, WHICH, AS YOU
KNOW, SOME OF THEM RESULTED IN
WIDESPREAD PROPERTY DAMAGE.
WILL YOU CEDE TO THAT DEMAND?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE
NATIONAL GUARD IS SENT IN WHEN
LOMES ASKED
LOCALS ASKED US FOR IT IN
MILWAUKEE AND MADISON AND OTHER
PLACES IN THE STATE.
BUT MY ROLE OR MY INSISTENCE AND
BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THEY SERVE A
LIMITED ROLE.
I UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE FEEL
ABOUT MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS,
EVEN THOUGH OUR NART NATIONAL GUARD
HAS DONE A GREAT JOB HELPING US
IN THE PANDEMIC.
SO WE HAVE INSISTED WITH LOCAL
LEADERS THAT THEY ARE PRIMARILY
USED TO PROTECT PROPERTY,
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT PROPERTY
LIKE THE STATE CAPITOL, LIKE
ELECTRICAL SITUATIONS AND WATER
AND OTHER UTILITIES, CULTURAL
SITES.
SO THAT'S THEIR ROLE AND THAT'S
THE ROLE THEY'RE PRIMARILY
PLAYING.
SO UNTIL THEY ARE ASKING ME TO
HAVE THEM PLAY A MORE ACTIVE
ROLE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO
WHAT I THINK THEY'RE DOING A
GREAT JOB AS.
>> YOU SAY THAT WE MUST
REESTABLISH TRUST WITH
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
>> WELL, IT'S A LONG PROCESS,
BUT, BELIEVE ME, WE HAVE A LONG
WAY TO GO.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO
IS ACT, AND I BELIEVE AT THE
STATE LEVEL WE HAVE SOME ACTIONS
THAT WE CAN TAKE TO HELP PEOPLE
THAT STRUGGLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR
IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
BUT ALSO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE INVOLVE THE ENTIRE STATE
IN THIS.
OUR STATE IS BECOMING MORE
DIVERSE BY THE DAY AND WILL
CONTINUE TO OPERATE UNDER THAT
UMBRELLA OF CHANGING
DEMOGRAPHICS.
AND SO WE NEED TO HAVE THESE
CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK THE STATE HAS A BULLY
PULPIT ROLE TO PLAY, BUT, MORE
IMPORTANTLY, AN ACTIVE ROLE, AN
ACTION ROLE, THAT RELIES ON
INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE ON THE
-- YOU KNOW, ELECTED OFFICIALS
ARE FINE.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.
BUT THE MORE I AND OTHER STATE
LEADERS SPEND TIME SPEAKING TO
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND IN CITIES
AND VILLAGES ACROSS THE STATE ON
THIS ISSUE, THE BETTER OFF WE'LL
BE.
>> AND YOU'RE COMMITTED TO DOING
THAT IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS
AHEAD.
>> YEAH.
I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.
THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT I HAVE --
IT'S BEEN BURNING IN MY SOUL FOR
YEARS.
AND THIS -- WE HAVE -- WE HAVE A
GOOD OPPORTUNITY IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING AROUND
SOME REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS,
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO
DELIVERING ON SOME OF THOSE
THINGS THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
>> GOVERNOR TONY EVERS, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK