Here & Now

Here & Now for Nov. 30, 2018

Zac Schultz:
Good evening. I’m Zac Schultz. Frederica Freyberg is on assignment. Tonight on “Here & Now” state Assembly leaders join us for a preview of the lame duck session at the state Capitol. We’ll look at the chances of bipartisanship in the legislature during the Tony Evers Administration and UW-Stevens Point’s faculty call for the dismissal of key administrators amid budget cuts. It’s “Here & Now” for the last Friday in November.

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Funding for “Here & Now” is provided in part by Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.

Zac Schultz:
Republicans have had complete control over state government in Wisconsin for eight years. That will change in January when Democrat Tony Evers is sworn in as governor and that’s why Republicans in the legislature are working on a series of bills they hope to pass in a lame duck extraordinary session next week. To preview the bills we are joined by Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke from Green Bay. Thanks for your time.

Jim Steineke:
Thanks for having me, Zac.

Zac Schultz:
How would you characterize the bills you’re hoping to pass?

Jim Steineke:
Really, the main goal here is to codify some of the things that were done over the course of the last eight years to make sure that the intent of what was passed through the Assembly and the Senate and signed by the governor remains after Governor Evers takes office. So we just want to make sure that the things, the reforms we’ve been able to pass over the last eight years stand the test of time and if governor-elect Evers coming in wants to see changes that he has to work with the legislature in order to get those changes done.

Zac Schultz:
Why weren’t some of those changes made at the time the bills were passed? Why are they still up in the air at this moment?

Jim Steineke:
Some of them quite honestly just weren’t followed through on like the executive order that Governor Walker put in place having to deal with some of the voter ID regulations to make sure that they — they fit with the court’s ruling. Those were done by executive order. We never followed through and put those in statute. It was just more of an oversight than anything. So things like that are things we’re looking to tidy up.

Zac Schultz:
Some of the proposals include giving the legislature more power over appointing members to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation or rolling back the governor’s authority over some rulemaking process. Democrats are saying that you wouldn’t be doing it if Governor Walker had won a third term. So they’re calling this a power grab.

Jim Steineke:
Well, when it comes to WEDC, obviously Governor Walker supported WEDC. WEDC was put in place by the Assembly, the Senate and the governor and if we did nothing, come day one when Governor Evers takes office, he could not make appointments to the WEDC board and virtually make it disappear by taking no action. So that’s what we want to ensure that if he wants to see changes to WEDC, he has to come through the legislature just like through the process by which we created it.

Zac Schultz:
Some of the things out there are still unknown. We haven’t seen the text of the bills yet. For WDC, does the legislature, will they have control over appointing the CEO of WEDC or will that remain with the governor?

Jim Steineke:
Some of those details are still being negotiated out with the Senate so we’re not exactly sure how that’s going to land yet. But the idea again is to make sure that the legislature has a say in any changes that happen to WEDC and the new governor can’t just come in, by doing nothing, make it go away.

Zac Schultz:
Now another big change that’s been proposed or the idea is out there is moving the date of the 2020 presidential primary in order to move an election with predicted high Democratic turnout away from a spring election where a conservative member of the Supreme Court is on the ballot. Is that in the Assembly package?

Jim Steineke:
That’s again still being negotiated with the Senate to see where the votes are on that. Really, the idea behind this is to get partisan elections away from nonpartisan elections. So as a former town chairman and I was on the county board, I ran for office in April. The last thing I want to do is run up against highly partisan races in April when these are really nonpartisan races. So that’s the idea behind that.

Zac Schultz:
But just two years ago conservatives benefited when the Republican presidential primary coincided with a Supreme Court election and Rebecca Bradley won re-election for another ten years on the court. So how can you turn around and say well now it doesn’t make sense when it may hurt a conservative?

Jim Steineke:
I think that’s exactly the point. In the future, it could help Democrats. It could help Republicans. What we’re saying is no matter who it helps, we shouldn’t have those partisan elections during nonpartisan elections. So we want to align those more with the partisan primaries.

Zac Schultz:
Moving an election and creating an entirely new presidential primary could cost up to $7 million I’ve seen in some projections. The clerks around the state are saying they can’t afford this. How can you claim to be fiscally responsible when you’re adding a multi-million dollar election just in what appears to help a conservative candidate.

Jim Steineke:
Sure, again, it’s not about a conservative candidate because it could help Democratic candidates in the future. Really we do have to listen to the clerks and we are taking their input and trying to figure out ways to minimize the effects it will have on local units of government and their election costs. Those are things that are still being negotiated and we’ll do everything we can to minimize the impact to local communities.

Zac Schultz:
We’ve heard from both sides, from governor-elect Evers and from Republicans, that you do want to work together in the coming session. Is this a preview of whether you can work together, if right before you’re taking away some of his powers or moving elections around? Should Democrats be worried about the openness of Republicans?

Jim Steineke:
No, I don’t think so. Not at all. I get along with Governor Evers well. I get along really well with lieutenant governor-elect Mandela Barnes. I think there’s going to be a lot of different areas where we can find common ground and that’s what we promised we will do over the four years that governor-elect Evers is in there. We will do everything we can to find areas of agreement. Where we can’t, we’re going to base our disagreements on policy and not personalities and take our case directly to the people of Wisconsin.

Zac Schultz:
On to something hopefully more bipartisan, you helped create the Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness and they just released an action plan. What will you need to make that happen and be a success in the next legislature?

Jim Steineke:
Really we had a great champion of this interagency council in Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. She and the council did amazing work over the course of the last year to come up with a structure for moving forward on how we deal with the homelessness crisis in Wisconsin. Really what we’ll need is Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes or Tony Evers to really step up and champion these issues and we’ll be talking to them shortly about how we can move forward together and implement the recommendations of the council.

Zac Schultz:
Representative Steineke from Green Bay, thanks for your time today.

Jim Steineke:
Thanks for having me.

Zac Schultz:
We’ll have more on the homelessness issue later in the program but next we move across the aisle to Representative Dianne Hesselbein, the Assembly assistant minority leader. Thanks for being here today.

Dianne Hesselbein:
Thanks so much for inviting me. I appreciate the opportunity.

Zac Schultz:
What do we know about what’s in this extraordinary session package of bills?

Dianne Hesselbein:
Honestly, we’re not sure. As of this taping at 12 noon on Friday, we aren’t sure. We haven’t even seen proposals yet that’s going to be out. We’ve heard a lot of rumors what might be going on for Tuesday but we’re not sure.

Zac Schultz:
Some of the things they have confirmed talk about codifying some language that things that Governor Walker put in place with an executive order. Maybe referring to the voter ID package or some of the requirements for FoodShare. Do you think those are over the top to be trying to put in place and finalize things that have already been enacted just had some executive orders or do you think that’s too much as well?

Dianne Hesselbein:
I think it’s ridiculous we’re even having a special session on Tuesday and it’s Friday at noon and we don’t even know what’s going to be talked about or what we’re going to be debating on Tuesday. I don’t think we need to be having this discussion right now. I think people are used to it. We had an election just last month and I think the people of Wisconsin voted for change and they’re tired of this divide and conquer that we’ve had the last few years. Let’s move on together and think about ways we can work together moving forward and moving our state forward in a positive direction instead of these petty things they’re talking about right now.

Zac Schultz:
If there is a change to who appoints the CEO or WEDC or who puts the members on the board, is that a power grab?

Dianne Hesselbein:
I think it is. I think they need to stop doing that and really work the governor-elect Tony Evers and see what he wants to do and work together to move our state forward.

Zac Schultz:
Some of the other things we’ve heard about is moving the presidential primary in 2020 off of the April spring primary where a conservative member of the Supreme Court will be running for re-election. The theory is that there’s more Democratic voters in a presidential primary. Moving that away gives him a safer path to election. They’re saying they’re doing it just to avoid nonpartisan and partisan elections merging together. Do you buy that?

Dianne Hesselbein:
I don’t think that’s true. I think they’re just trying to rig the system again. And I just think once again, let’s move Wisconsin forward. I think it’s interesting that the municipal, the county clerks have come together saying that this might — this move might cost over $7 million in a time when we need to be working on healthcare, education, transportation. We can be better spending those dollars elsewhere. Not moving some election to make it favorable for one party or the other. Let’s keep it the way we always have and make sure the people in Wisconsin have a voice.

Zac Schultz:
Would you anticipate a lawsuit coming from somewhere? The last time Governor Walker and legislature tried to not hold elections for some of the specials that needed to be called, do you — there was a lawsuit that forced them that happen. Would you see one in this case too?

Dianne Hesselbein:
I’m not sure what people will do. But once again, I don’t exactly know what’s going to be on the Tuesday calendar so I’m not sure what that bill will look like and what their arguments are for it. I know Senator Fitzgerald was pretty clear in the press saying this is a partisan gimmick that they’re trying to do. I’m not sure what would happen after Tuesday.

Zac Schultz:
Another idea we’ve heard about has to do with ratifying some of the language in the Affordable Care Act to protect pre-existing conditions in state law. The Assembly has already passed that. The Senate held it up. Is that something at least Democrats could get behind?

Dianne Hesselbein:
You know, once again, it matters what the bill looks like. I certainly believe people in the state of Wisconsin want to be protected for pre-existing health conditions. That was talked about over and over on the campaign trail. People made it loud and clear when I was talking to voters all across the state of Wisconsin. They were worried about that. So I think that’s an important piece. But once again, until I see that language, I don’t know what that looks like.

Zac Schultz:
Is this a forecast of what we can expect in the next legislature in terms of bipartisanship and openness?

Dianne Hesselbein:
What I’m hoping is we can work together. Assembly Democrats have always been willing to try to reach across the aisle to find some common ground. Bipartisanship, certainly with transportation. Years ago, it used to be a very bipartisan issue and solution. I’m hoping we can work on that. Healthcare and education as well are things maybe we can find some common ground on.

Zac Schultz:
Has your caucus started to talk about what role you may have to play? For the last eight years, Democrats in the Assembly have really been only a protest voice, not even a protest vote in most cases. What role can you play?

Dianne Hesselbein:
Well certainly we’re going to be working closely with the Evers Administration. Moving forward. Seeing what their plan is. But everything is a moving piece right now. The transition team’s extremely busy now putting budget ideas together and things like that. So certainly, we’re looking forward to talking to governor-elect Evers within the coming weeks and seeing how we can be helpful moving forward.

Zac Schultz:
Are you optimistic in what you’re going to see in the budget?

Dianne Hesselbein:
I am. I think, loud and clear, we heard from the people of Wisconsin they want healthcare, education and transportation. I think working together with Republicans, we can make those issues a reality.

Zac Schultz:
Do you think most of the negotiation will occur between Republican leaders and governor’s administration or do you think Democrats in the legislature may have a role there too?

Dianne Hesselbein:
I think we’re going to have a huge role in there, too. I think we have the relationships right now. I have Republican colleagues that we talk to and I’m hoping we can come together and really move Wisconsin forward in a positive direction.

Zac Schultz:
Representative Hesselbein. Thanks for your time today.

Dianne Hesselbein:
Thanks for having me.

Zac Schultz:
Despite what’s in the extraordinary session, Republicans at the capitol say they want to work with governor-elect Evers. In tonight’s inside look, Republicans are asking Evers for a show of bipartisanship by keeping Governor Walker’s current Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett. Earlier this week, we sat down with Assembly Republican Travis Tranel to ask him why.

Travis Tranel:
Well, first off Zach, thanks for having me on the program. Certainly appreciate the opportunity. I’ve been the chair of the Assembly Committee on Tourism since 2014. Since that time I’ve gotten an up close and personal look how tourism affects the state and also formed a relationship with Secretary Klett and her entire team. Deputy Secretary Sarah Klavas also does phenomenal work. The work they’ve done for the state, I think it’s admirable and it would be in our best interest to retain them if they’re willing to stay. And after talking with them, Secretary Klett would not only be willing to stay but excited to stay and I think that’s the direction we would be best served.

Zac Schultz:
What would be lost if there was a transition here?

Travis Tranel:
Certainly a lot of phenomenal good work has been done over the last eight years since she has been the tourism secretary. She knows the state inside and out. A lot of that was because of her previous work as the host of “Discover Wisconsin.” So she’s been working in tourism on a statewide basis and forming relationships and discovering all these hidden gems long before she was appointed to be the secretary of the Department of Tourism. If we were to make a change now, in the middle of her prime, I just think we would lose a whole host of experience and a team honestly that just has a phenomenal track record of success.

Zac Schultz:
Give me a sense of what the secretary of tourism can do when so much of Wisconsin’s tourism is based on seasons and things outside her control?

Travis Tranel:
Certainly. She can’t control when the leaves change color, for example. But one thing she’s done a phenomenal job of doing is actually making sure that not only residents of the state of Wisconsin but all throughout the Midwest, the country and even the world do know when the colors of the leaves are changing. They’ve done that through their website. They actually have a feature on there where people can log on and check and see where we’re at in terms of colors changing. One of their most popular and most visited pages on their entire website. The secretary, she’s just done a phenomenal job of making sure people are aware of what we have to offer and to me, if you’re asking people to come to your state and spend money, why are they going to do that? They’re going to do that because one, they want to have fun and that’s their new slogan is “Wisconsin, when you think of Wisconsin, what do you think of? You think of fun.” And we want to have them have experiences that they want to enjoy and come back and spend their money. She’s just done a great job of making sure they know that those options and opportunities are available.

Zac Schultz:
Typically a governor gets to choose who their cabinet members are. Is tourism a partisan issue?

Travis Tranel:
That’s another good point. In this case, too, certainly we want governor-elect Evers to have the opportunity to choose who he wants to be the tourism secretary. I just want to make sure that he knows Secretary Klett would be a very, very good choice. So she’s proven herself qualified. She’s done a phenomenal job. And we’re just humbly asking he looks at the body of work that she has demonstrated that she’s capable of doing and has performed very well and reappoint her.

Zac Schultz:
Now, this would obviously be a show of bipartisanship on governor-elect Evers part. How would that comport with the current atmosphere where Republicans are talking about maybe taking away some of the powers of the incoming governor or changing rules to make it more difficult for him on day one?

Travis Tranel:
Right. A good point that you raised previously. Tourism is about as nonpartisan as it can get. Governor-elect Evers has pointed out he’s looking for ways and opportunities to work with a Republican-controlled legislature. And we’ve said and I’ve said personally we’re looking for ways that we can work with the governor-elect. So I think this would be a great opportunity as we stated in our letter to show the people of the state of Wisconsin that we’re not interested in politics all the time but we’re interested in wins. This is a no-brainer situation where it’s obviously what’s best for the state of Wisconsin and hopefully that’s the conclusion that he draws as well.

Zac Schultz:
But when it comes to that extraordinary session the legislature’s considering, should the legislature be aware that they’re making a show of bipartisanship, too, when it comes to what they may pass?

Travis Tranel:
Certainly as you know, there’s been no bill that’s been proposed. Everything I’ve seen and heard discussed is all about just making sure the legislature is a separate but equal branch of government when it comes to moving forward in the state. I think that’s something that all citizens can agree with and get on board with.

Zac Schultz:
When it comes out what’s actually going to be in some of those bills, do you think some of the fear will die down compared to what’s been theorized to be out there?

Travis Tranel:
Absolutely. I think you raise a great point. The things that I’ve heard discussed have absolutely nothing to do with what I’ve seen being reported. Again, we just want to make sure they are separate but equal branches of government and that if there are any major changes in this state that the legislative and the executive are on the same page. And I think that’s what people want when it comes to good government.

Zac Schultz:
Representative Tranel. Thanks for your time.

Travis Tranel:
Thanks for your time Zac.

Zac Schultz:
From Wisconsin to Washington and the floor of the U.S. House, Republican Speaker Paul Ryan signed off after 20 years of service on Thursday.

Paul Ryan:
Since becoming Speaker of the House, which is not something that we’re used to in Wisconsin, I’m the only one who has done that. I appreciate the indulgence of the people I work for who indulged the fact that I had other responsibilities in addition. When I took on these additional responsibilities, the people of our staff really stepped up and really helped serve our constituents so that they continued to enjoy those flawless constituent services. I’m just so grateful for these people in my life. I’m so grateful they were able to serve the people of southern Wisconsin so well. And I am absolutely grateful to the people of southern Wisconsin for entrusting me as their representative. Thank you and I yield.

[applause]

Zac Schultz:
Over the past eight months, we’ve been following the budget problems faced by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. A few weeks ago, we had Stevens Point Provost Greg Summers on to talk about why they to cut six majors and lay off faculty to balance an $8 million deficit. Here’s what he had to say to Frederica Freyberg.

Greg Summers:
We’ve talked before Frederica about the fact that we have a budget deficit. And certainly the proposal that we circulated at campus this week was meant to address that at least in part. But it’s also the case we’re thinking about a lot more than just budget. What this is really about is trying to respond to the changing educational needs that we’re seeing in Wisconsin. We know that students are really cost sensitive these days and so they are focused, sort of laser focused, on career pathways that their degree choice can open up. So our restructuring that we’re proposing, reorganizing our academic colleges and focusing our curriculum is really meant to highlight those career paths.

Zac Schultz:
This week, faculty at UW-Stevens Point sent a letter to the UW Board of Regents calling for the dismissal of Stevens Point Chancellor Bernie Patterson and Provost Greg Summers, who we just heard from. Mick Veum, a physics professor, signed the letter and he joins us now from Stevens Point. Mick, thanks for your time today.

Mick Veum:
Thank you for having me.

Zac Schultz:
Why are you asking for the chancellor and the provost to go?

Mick Veum:
I’m — what I’m asking is for the Board of Regents to read that letter very seriously. The concerns that are raised in that are real. There is nothing that is hyperbolic. There is nothing that is exaggerated. There is nothing that’s non-factual in there. What I’m asking for is accountability. I’ve been involved in a lot of the process and when I read that letter — I had nothing to do with writing that and I’m not saying that to absolve myself of any responsibly — but when I read that letter, I knew from — that I owed it to the people of Wisconsin to make sure that this part of the story is heard. And that the budget hole that we are in is actually our own doing.

Zac Schultz:
Can you give us a nutshell of what’s in that letter just so the people at home understand what your allegations are?

Mick Veum:
Yeah. Well, the major part of it, the biggest part and what really compelled me to sign the letter is the fact that when we knew that our enrollments were going to be dropping, we were hiring tenure track faculty members. We were making a promise. We were bringing faculty members in when we knew that we wouldn’t have the enrollments. We would not have the revenue to pay the salaries associated with that. And that’s not good management. And we did that. And we — and that part of the story, you can’t find that in the “Point Forward” document. That was a mistake we made and we need to be held accountable for that. There are other parts of it associated with — there were some accounting problems. Those have been rectified. There was an issue in student affairs with an associate dean who was sexually harassing people. And so there is — so there is a variety of things in addition to these financial issues. And so going forward we gotta not pretend that we didn’t dig this hole for ourselves. We did.

Zac Schultz:
In a statement Chancellor Bernie Patterson says the letter “represents a small percentage of faculty and staff.” Does your movement represent more than a vocal minority?

Mick Veum:
That would be a difficult thing to say. It definitely represents a large contingent. I spend all day, every day on the campus in the trenches with people and by and large, the people that I am with are supportive of this and they — they’re sympathetic. They don’t necessarily agree with everything that’s in the letter. They don’t necessarily agree with the approach, but they don’t disagree with the conclusions of the letter in terms of the financial problems that we’ve had. It is a substantial group of people. And so I think — I don’t think Bernie should be calling this a fringe group who is on the outside of the university. This is the rank and file of the university who feel this way and it is not just faculty. It’s not just staff. It’s students, too.

Zac Schultz:
Now, if the Board of Regents declines to do anything, the chancellor and the provost stay on, what kind of relationship will you have with them as these cuts are implemented in the future?

Mick Veum:
That’s a really good question. As I mentioned in the press conference yesterday, this is a really painful thing for me to do. I have known Greg for about 17 years. We have worked together in a lot of different situations. I’ve known Bernie for almost 10 years and we have worked through good times and bad times and with ups and downs. And the last thing I wanted to be doing yesterday was standing in front of a group of reporters and having to say very unpleasant things about people who are my colleagues. But people with whom I have — my children have played with Greg’s children. We have socialized and worked together on very difficult things. So I don’t know. I like to think that we can keep the business of the university separate from the personal part of it. It’s definitely going to put a strain on it. But at the end of the day, Zac, I’m a public servant. And at the end of the day, my loyalty isn’t to any particular person at the university and it’s not to any particular program at the university. My loyalty is to the people of Wisconsin and the people of Wisconsin weren’t getting the straight story. They weren’t getting all of the information that I think they deserve to know. This university belongs to everybody. It doesn’t — it’s not mine. It’s not Bernie’s. It’s not Greg’s. It’s everybody’s.

Zac Schultz:
Quickly we don’t have a whole lot of time left but at the root of the deficit is a declining enrollment. How will this situation help parents and high schoolers decide Stevens Point is the place for them in the future?

Mick Veum:
Because we are going to fix this. And it’s going to be a multi-pronged approach. And one of the things that we’re going to do is we’re going to — I’ll stand up in front of them and convince them the faculty members care. We want to provide the best education possible and even if it puts us in a bad position personally, I’m taking a big risk here right now. But I want the parents to know–

Zac Schultz:
Sorry, we’re out of time.

Mick Veum:
I’m here. I am here for their students. Sorry Zac.

Zac Schultz:
Thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

Mick Veum:
Thank you, Zac.

Zac Schultz:
Now back to the proposal from the Interagency Council on Homelessness. The plan calls for a housing first model which would focus on getting homeless people into housing which sounds obvious but currently addiction issues or a criminal record can make it difficult for the chronically homeless to get into an apartment. The plan also calls for case management which helps reduce the chance that addiction or mental health issues cause people to lose housing again. The plan says in 2017, nearly 22,000 people experienced homelessness with 8% considered to be chronically homeless. In a program note, Wisconsin Public Television is working on a special on teen homelessness that will air on “Here & Now” on Friday night, December 28th. That’s our program for tonight. I’m Zac Schultz. Have a great weekend.

Announcer:
Funding for “Here & Now” is provided in part by Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.