Here & Now

Race for Governor: Kelda Roys

Frederica Freyberg:

Now to state politics and the start of our series of interviews with Democrats running in the primary race for governor. It’s a big field. In fact, starting tonight our weekly series of one-on-one interviews will take us through the month of July. First up, Kelda Roys. Ms. Roys grew up in Marshfield and Madison. She’s an attorney. After serving as Executive Director of NARAL Prochoice Wisconsin, she spent four years in the State Assembly. She ran unsuccessfully for Congress in the state’s 2nd District. Kelda Roys joins us now. Thanks very much for doing so.

Kelda Roys:

Thank you.

Frederica Freyberg:

Why do you believe you are the progressive voice for Wisconsin?

Kelda Roys:

Well, I believe Im ready to lead Wisconsin and help us become a place of opportunity and fairness again. That’s why Im running. I have a strong track record of turning big ideas into real results on all kinds of issues. Common sense issues like health care and public education and protecting our natural resources. We need a governor who is ready on day one.

Frederica Freyberg:

Why can you beat Scott Walker?

Kelda Roys:

I can beat Scott Walker because people are ready to turn the page. I think a lot of the other folks in the race are eager to make this a referendum on Walker, but I don’t think that’s enough. I’m running for governor because I have a vision for the state to make it the best place to raise a child and the best place to grow business. And I think people are responding to that positive, proactive message, not just the sort of negativity we’ve been mired in for the last eight years.

Frederica Freyberg:

On the economy, in your mind, what is the single-most important thing to do even as our unemployment rate is really at historic lows?

Kelda Roys:

Well, I think we have to increase wages because a lot of people, what’s reflected in that unemployment rate, might be working two or three jobs and still unable to make ends meet. We have too many people who are working full-time and they are still living in poverty. So we have to increase wages. And that’s true for the middle class as well as the working poor. And to do that, we need to be much more supportive of small businesses. Whether it’s a family farmer or a main street business or somebody with an idea for a tech company.

Frederica Freyberg:

You talk about wanting to invest more money in infrastructure for the state of Wisconsin. How much money?

Kelda Roys:

Well I think we need to look and see what the needs of the state are. I think we have to address our crumbling roads. I think we need to invest in 21st century infrastructure, like broadband connectivity statewide and improving our wireless network. All of these things are really important if we want to have a strong economy in the future.

Frederica Freyberg:

Now, you are out with a new ad blasting Governor Walker over the Foxconn deal. But won’t Foxconn in fact bring jobs and business to Wisconsin?

Kelda Roys:

Well, I think my video focused on the stories of homeowners who are being forced to move from the home that they have planned for nine years and have lived in for less than a year and a half without due consideration. There is a human cost to a project like Foxconn in addition to the $4.5 billion cost to taxpayers and the environmental damage that is likely going to be wrought by Foxconn. I think we need a governor who is going to stand up to Foxconn and say, “You are not going to be allowed to destroy our environment and we’re going to make sure our taxpayers and workers are protected and we’ll pay attention to the needs of all Wisconsinites and not just those of a wealthy few.”

Frederica Freyberg:

What do you say to voters about what you would want to do about Act 10?

Kelda Roys:

Well, I think Act 10 was a mistake and we’re seeing the effects, terrible effects in terms of being able to attract and retain great teachers, nurses and even in our prisons, in our correctional facilities. It’s very, very difficult for us to recruit and retain good state workers who ultimately serve the people of the state. Had a negative effect on the economy by taking money out of the pockets of working people. I think all workers deserve a voice in the workplace. We should restore collective bargaining rights. Obviously there’s a Supreme Court case that’s addressing this issue. So that’s going to perhaps hamstring some of the options available to us but I think it’s really important. I say this as a small business owner and employer myself. It’s really important to treat our employees with respect and as governor Im going to make sure that I hear the concerns of our citizens and our public workers and not ignore them.

Frederica Freyberg:

On education, you say that you want to end the private school voucher program, but what do you say to students and families who are now spending their children to these private schools?

Kelda Roys:

Well, my program would not displace any of the students in Milwaukee and Racine who are currently attending these voucher schools. I think we have to do this with as minimal disruption as possible to existing students. But ultimately we cannot keep funneling our taxpayer dollars into private schools when we’re not even adequately funding our public schools. It’s time we end this failed experiment especially considering the children who we’re experimenting on are those who can the least afford it because they are often coming from some of the more challenging circumstances, neighborhoods in our community.

Frederica Freyberg:

What would you do regarding college education?

Kelda Roys:

I think we should have free tuition for all students going to our two-year colleges, technical colleges. I think– I’m very supportive of the plan by the chancellor t UW-Madison to make tuition free for students whose families earn less than the median income in the state. I think we also have to address the student loan debt crisis because there are now decades of students, nearly a million people in Wisconsin who still have student debt and it’s a massive weight around our economy as well as individuals.

Frederica Freyberg:

With just about a minute left, you want to make BadgerCare a public option. What does that mean?

Kelda Roys:

Well, when the Affordable Care Act was passed, I and John Richards and others set up a plan to create our own state exchange so we could have affordable health insurance that people could buy on the marketplace. People like me, a small business owner. Unfortunately, that plan was jettisoned because of efforts to undermine Obamacare. I think we should have a state exchange and make BadgerCare a public option that anybody could buy into so you don’t necessarily have to buy private insurance. You have a public option which would be a lower cost for everyone.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right, Kelda Roys. Thanks very much.

Kelda Roys:

Thanks, Frederica.