Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said Monday he and the people of the state “cannot wait for Republican leadership to show up for work,” in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha police
“That’s why today I’m calling for a special session of the legislature to take up the package of legislation we announced earlier this year,” Evers said. “We must begin the long but important path towards ensuring that our state and our country start to live up to our promises of equity and justice.”
The special session would open on Monday, however Evers cannot compel lawmakers to act on any of the nine bills. He introduced the package in June, following the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
“I’m urging Republican leadership to rise to this important moment in history. To put people before politics and to put lives of Black Wisconsinites above politics, and to give this special session the urgent and productive effort this moment demands, and that the people of Wisconsin deserve.”
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (full statement below), who just an hour earlier had announced a task force. Vos said he asked Evers to work with the legislature through that task force, and said Evers is instead “dictating liberal policies that will only deepen the divisions in our state.”
In the wake of Sunday’s police shooting in Kenosha, @SpeakerVos announces formation of task force. pic.twitter.com/BKMIbG1V2d
— WRN (@WRN) August 24, 2020
“One hour after the announcement of the speaker’s task force, Governor Evers releases a Special Session call of the Legislature. When I spoke to Governor Evers on the phone today, I asked him to work with the Legislature in a deliberate and open process through the task force. We have an opportunity to bring people together to find solutions. Instead, the governor is choosing to turn to politics again by dictating liberal policies that will only deepen the divisions in our state.