Frederica Freyberg:

The politics of the pandemic surge on. What’s the Republican plan for public safety and economic security with rising COVID rates? Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke joins us now from Kaukauna and thanks for being here again.

Jim Steineke:

Absolutely, thanks for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:

As you know, the Fox Valley is a hot spot for COVID-19. People are dying and cases and hospitalizations are going up, as in the rest of the state, and patients from your area are expected now to be transferred to this overflow field hospital. What are you doing about it?

Jim Steineke:

Well, the biggest thing I think we all have a responsibility to do is to continue to educate the public as to what the issues are. Believe it or not, there’s still people out there that don’t think that this is a very serious virus. We have to make it clear to them that it is. And then continue to push social distancing, following the CDC guidelines, washing hands regularly and, most importantly, staying home when you’re sick. People have to take some responsibility for themselves, and we have to continue with that unified message.

Frederica Freyberg:

A circuit court judge this week refused to block the state mask mandate saying, “if the legislature is unconvinced that a state of emergency does exist, which gives the governor the ability time pose those rules, the legislature has the ultimate power to terminate it.” So do you think Wisconsin is in a state of emergency over COVID-19 or should be so declared?

Jim Steineke:

I think obviously, the virus presents some serious challenges for people around the state. Every part of the state is a little bit different. That’s why we favored a more local approach, because when you look at what the governor has done so far with like the statewide mask mandate, without working with law enforcement throughout the state before putting in that into place, what you saw was law enforcement the day that Governor Evers announced this coming out and saying that they weren’t going to enforce it. So that’s the problem with some of these heavy-handed state-wide mandates where the governor isn’t working with anybody on how to enforce it. If it’s not enforceable, it’s only worth the paper that it’s printed on.

Frederica Freyberg:

So will Republican leadership go into session and terminate the state of emergency?

Jim Steineke:

No. I mean, we’re focused on just making sure that the rule of law is upheld and making sure that at the end of the day, that the governor is following the law. That’s the most important thing to us. I encourage people all the time to wear masks. If you’re going outside, going into places, into stores where you’re going to come in close contact with people, people should be wearing masks. They should be washing their hands. And they should be social distancing. That’s what we believe. We’re just — as far as the mask mandate, we’re just asking the governor to follow the law.

Frederica Freyberg:

Now, Governor Evers wrote your leadership a scathing letter this week asking to meet with you to see your plan to respond to the pandemic and work with you. Has leadership scheduled that meeting?

Jim Steineke:

Not that I’m aware of. I mean, the governor also this week said that he didn’t see any reason to meet. He said that himself, he knew where he was at. He felt like he knew where Republicans were at, so he didn’t see the need for a meeting. That’s what’s been so frustrating throughout this whole process is neither side is talking to each other and the governor is coming out with these edicts and these emergency declarations without ever having consulted or talked to the legislature ahead of time. Maybe if he brought people together around a table and stopped throwing political — hurling political insults at the other side of the table, we’d be able to work together in a more congenial fashion.

Frederica Freyberg:

So you’re telling me that the governor told Republican legislative leadership this week that he did not want to meet with you to see your plan?

Jim Steineke:

No. What I’m saying is he said publicly that he doesn’t see the need for a meeting given the fact that he knows where he is and he knows where we are and he just doesn’t feel like there’s a way to come together. And it’s frustrating for us.

Frederica Freyberg:

He did state in his letter that he wanted to see your plan. Do you have a plan?

Jim Steineke:

Again, this goes back to the fact that we believe that social — that people should be social distancing, they should be washing their hands. But local health departments have all the tools that Governor Evers supposedly believes he has in to order to put these mask mandates if they see fit in order to do capacity restrictions at the local level. That’s where this thing needs to be fought because those leaders will work with their local law enforcement to make sure if you put something in place that it’s enforceable. That’s what the governor has failed to do over and over again is work with people ahead of time before putting out his plans to make sure that whatever he does is enforceable. What he has done so far is not enforceable. If you can point to one individual in the state that has been written a ticket for not wearing a mask, I’d be interested in seeing it because I don’t believe it exists.

Frederica Freyberg:

All eyes are on Wisconsin because of its record COVID cases, as you well know, and the president is coming here tomorrow, to Janesville, for a rally. Should the president come?

Jim Steineke:

I think the president should come, just like, you know, Joe Biden has visited the state, Kamala Harris and others have come to Wisconsin. I think people, if they go to see the president, should be responsible, should socially distance and wear masks when they’re in close contact with people. We have to do our best to keep people safe.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right. Much more to ask you, but we are at time’s limit. So Representative Steineke, thanks for joining us.

Jim Steineke:

Absolutely, thanks for having me.