Numerous states have decided to postpone presidential primary elections across the country to keep people safe from COVID-19.
Governor Tony Evers shares that the nature of Wisconsin’s election brings more issues than what those other states face.
“It’s too early to make that judgment, but I understand the issues,” said the Governor to WTMJ’s Steve Scaffidi on Tuesday.
“Ours are different than other states. This is a general election. It’s a primary for the presidential race, but it’s a general (in other races).”
He says the state is evaluating the possibility of a delay, but “we’re making sure people have an opportunity to vote early or (with) absentee ballot.”
Evers said that the possibility of the same coronavirus situation later this year could lead such a delay to vacant executive offices in races that would be decided by such an election.
“There is not guarantee in July or June that we’re not facing the same thing,” he said, at a time when “people should be taking office.”
The Governor says he has had no symptoms of coronavirus, and he has not been tested.
The full interview transcription can be found below:
STEVE SCAFFIDI: Let me ask you the question that we were talking about a little earlier, and that’s the election on April 7th. At this moment as Governor, do you see a reason to move it? A lot of people are suggesting we’re not going to be ready, nor should we gather that many people in one place at one time. Your thoughts?
GOVERNOR EVERS: Well, first of all, we have made no decision on that. And, obviously, elections are very important, and ours are different, frankly, than other states. We have — this is a general election. It’s not a — it’s a primary for the presidential race, but it’s a general election. We have all sorts of local and state or county officials on a nonpartisan ballot. So we’re evaluating that, we’re making sure — what we’re doing right now is making sure people have an opportunity to vote early or absentee ballot. We’re up in the several hundreds of thousands that have already done that. So it’s too early to make that judgement, but I understand the issues. But elections are important, and there’s no guarantee if we delay it to June that we’re not facing the same thing. And by that time, people will — should have been taking office. So it’s more complex than the decision that was made in Ohio last night.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: As you know, over the last few days, things are moving rather dynamically, and we seem to be seeing this rolling number of closures. We started with schools, now we’ve seen it yesterday. You — you didn’t go as far as some of the surrounding states and some of the East Coast states to totally clamp down on bars and restaurants, what was your decision-making thoughts during the process on why you didn’t go as far as they did?
GOVERNOR EVERS: Well, we went with the CDC recommendations at the time that we made that decision. And I think it’s a — it was a good first step. Obviously, this big picture, we’re evaluating this all of the time. It’s a very fluid situation. We have to make sure that our healthcare workers are available to work, and others. Even in the food industry, we have to make sure that we have a good supply of food. So as we are weighing all of these things, big picture, we’ll continue to keep people informed, but it’s decision making by the minute. And it’s very difficult, but, you know, the good thing, Steve, is that Wisconsinites are pretty darn resilient and they’re doing what they can to make sure that they’re staying safe, too.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: We’ve seen the President go to — and the Vice President go to daily briefings. Do you imagine a scenario where that would happen every day or every evening in Madison?
GOVERNOR EVERS: Yeah, that’s hard to say whether we’ll be doing that. But we’ll keep people informed, and we’ll work — we’re making decisions regularly based on science and based on what our science people at the Department of Health Services and the Federal Government are saying. So we’ll keep people informed, whether it’s a daily briefing or not, that’s to be determined. But we are evaluating things as they — as they happen. As you know, this is a very fluid situation and we’re relying on our folks, our science folks, to provide us the best advice possible.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: We’re talking with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
I’ve gotten a ton of e-mails and texts from people that work in schools, whether it’s teachers, staff, wondering, there’s been some exemptions for schools, but there seems to be a little bit of grey area when it comes still gathering people. And I know that you’ve set a limit of 50, the CDC and the President talked about a number of 10. Can you — can you identify what should happen in schools and what shouldn’t happen? Because there seems to be a lot of concern from some people who have to still go to the schools.
GOVERNOR EVERS: Well, they’re — the people that are going to schools right now are people that are either distributing food to folks — and there’s ways to make sure that they’re kept safe. I mean, our schools are closed or will be closed in this state as of tomorrow. So we — I’m not sure that the issue after tomorrow will make — will make a difference. Many schools are already closed, they closed on their own. And we decided to give schools an extra couple days, that did not close, to plan for this. So once — once they’re closed after tomorrow — once they’re closed after tomorrow, that should not be an issue, but, you know, still will be used to distribute food and other things. And the people that do that are primarily volunteers and they’re going to need to keep themselves six feet away from each other, and I think we can do that well. We have to continue to feed people, that’s for sure.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: As the former state superintendent of public instruction, is this an opportunity to ramp up — I know some schools have already gone there, but the online ability of schools to teach their kids for moments like this?
GOVERNOR EVERS: Well, absolutely, but this disease didn’t give us much of a chance to do that. Many — many schools have that ability, frankly, schools that have adequate resources; there’s many that don’t. And there are places in the state of Wisconsin, many places, where there is no Internet at all because of our broadband situation, we’re trying to resolve that. So that’s not going to happen overnight. That’s what I’m — that’s the bottom line. Do we need to ramp that up? Yes, we need to ramp up having broadband every place in the state of Wisconsin, and that’s why we’re — put emphasis on that in our last budget.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: One of the things that people always ask me about is — in this new era is small business, how they’re going to be impacted. We see the closure of bars and restaurants, some small — smaller retails, already starting to feel the pain. Do you anticipate doing something at a state level to assist those folks with kind of easing the pain they are feeling right now?
GOVERNOR EVERS: Oh, absolutely. And we’ve tasked our Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation head, Missy Hughes, on that. She’ll be working with small businesses across the state to identify the need. But it is — everybody is taking a hit here: small businesses, large businesses and, frankly, the people that work for them. And so, you know, to identify small businesses that are going — that are suffering and finding ways to help them survive is a top priority, but it’s also a top priority of ours to make sure that the people that work there that may not be — may not have sick leave and other things that are kept whole, too. This is an all-out effort to make sure that people in our state continue to thrive.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: Would you, if necessary, call out the National Guard to assist in public safety or when required?
GOVERNOR EVERS: Oh, sure, absolutely. The Guard is doing a great job. They helped us bring home Wisconsinites from that cruise that sat out — the cruise ship that sat out in the Pacific. They are — they are already helping us and they’ll continue to help us. And we have them on — on guard to make sure that not only are we kept safe but to help us get through this crisis. They’ve been very, very helpful to do it, and in general is doing a great job.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: On the personal side — I probably know the answer to this — did you ever think you’d be dealing with a crisis like this so early in your tenure?
GOVERNOR EVERS: Of course not, but the good news is I’m very, very confident the people — in the people in Wisconsin. I saw this last year during the various crises that we had, whether it was — whether it was floods or wind events, people of Wisconsin get out there and do what they need to do. Right now, it’s to make sure that we tamp down the virus, and one of the main ways to do that is to stay home and, you know, be with your family; making sure that nutrition is still part of — part of your world. We can’t have people getting sick because they’re not eating well. But it is important to shelter at home and enjoy your family.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: And last thing for you: Have you been tested for the coronavirus?
GOVERNOR EVERS: I have not. I have no symptoms. And, believe me, I continue to be concerned about the number of tests that are being done. And so my goal is to not be tested because I’m healthy and make sure that that test that I might take gets in — is used by somebody that is suffering.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: All right. While I’m thinking about that, I’ll ask one more question: Do you think the Federal Government’s response on testing has been adequate to this point?
GOVERNOR EVERS: Well, I don’t want to get into republicans versus democrats here, but it certainly — their delay in understanding that this is a huge issue, it’s a life-changing issue in many cases, that delay and having that understanding did not help.
STEVE SCAFFIDI: Governor Tony Evers, I always thank you for taking the time to talk to us.
GOVERNOR EVERS: Thanks, Steve.
“Transcription courtesy of eCourt Reporters”