EVERS. GOV. EVERS: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY IN THANKS FOR JOINING US. WE ANNOUNCED A NEW ORDER TO ALLOW NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES TO DO MORE THAN THEY ARE ABLE TO DO WITH MORE. THESE CHANGES WENT INTO EFFECT TODAY, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR MANY FAMILIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS OUR STATE. UNDER OR SAFER AT HOME ORDER, EVERY BUSINESS ACROSS OUR STATE CAN DO THINGS LIKE DELIVERIES, MAILS, CURBSIDE PICKUP, AND CURBSIDE DROP-OFF. FOR EXAMPLE, DOG RUMORS, -- DOG GROOMERS, PADDLE BOATS AND CANOES, YOU CAN PROVIDE SOME SERVICES UNDER THE SAFER AT HOME ORDER. YESTERDAY, WE ANNOUNCED THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES WILL BE REOPENING 34 OF OUR STATE PARKS AND RECREATIONAL AREAS THAT WERE CLOSED EARLIER THIS MONTH DUE TO UNPRECEDENTED CROWDS AND OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH. THE FIRST LADY AND I ARE BOTH VERY HAPPY ABOUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. CLOSING STATE PARKS WAS A TOUGH ONE FOR ME PERSONALLY BUT IT WAS A RIGHT THING TO DO AT THE TIME THE KEY PEOPLE SAY. WISCONSIN WAS AMONG 21 OTHER STATES, INCLUDING OUR NEIGHBORS IN OHIO, MICHIGAN AND ILLINOIS IN MAKING THE DECISION TO CLOSE SOME OR EVEN ALL STATE PARKS. BUT NOW, WE ARE ABLE TO TURN THE DIAL TO REOPEN MOST OF OUR PARKS . THAT IS GOOD NEWS BECAUSE OUTDOOR RECREATION IS IMPORTANT FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WISCONSINITES TO GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY WISCONSIN’S NATURAL RESOURCES AND SPRING WEATHER. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP OUR PARKS OPEN, SO WE NEED EVERYONE TO DO THEIR PART IN PRACTICING SOCIAL-DISTANCING, AND STAYING CLOSE TO HOME IN YOUR COMMUNITY. WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TO HOME MEANS? THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE NEED FOLKS TO USE THEIR BEST JUDGMENT WITH AN EYE TOWARDS BEING CAUTIOUS. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE TO TRAVEL FOR RECREATION, THINK ABOUT WHERE YOUR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL, WHERE YOU DO YOUR GROCERY SHOPPING IN WHERE YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP IS AND TRY TO STAY WITHIN THESE GENERAL AREAS. THESE KINDS OF COMMON SENSE WE MUST MAKE IN ORDER TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. BETWEEN THESE MEMBERS -- MEASURES AND A FEW ADJUSTMENTS LIKE CLOSING ONE DAY A WEEK FOR MAINTENANCE AND REDUCE HOURS OF OPERATION, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY OUR PARKS SAFELY AND RESPECTFULLY. HOPEFULLY, THE WEATHER WILL START COOPERATING SOON SO FULL CAN GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY STATE PARKS STARTING THIS FRIDAY, MAY 1. AS WE CONTINUE PLANNING OUR NEXT STEPS, IT IS NOT WITHOUT SOME UNCERTAINTY. YOU HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS VIRUS IS NOT ON THE TIMELINE. BELIEVE ME, I UNDERSTAND IT IS A FRUSTRATING ANSWER. SMALL BUSINESSES CANNOT OPERATE ON HYPOTHETICALS AND WORKERS CANNOT PAY THEIR RENT WITH A PROMISE OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY. THERE IS NOTHING I WOULD LOVE MORE THAN TO PROVIDE SOME CERTAINTY ON WHEN WE CAN OPEN UP MORE OF OUR ECONOMY. WHILE WE CANNOT CONTROL THIS VIRUS, WE CAN CONTROL HOW THE STATE SPONSOR TO ATTAINING WHAT WE NEED IS A UNIFIED, BIPARTISAN APPROACH. I LOOK TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN OHIO WITH THE DEMOCRATS IN LEGISLATURE WORKING WITH GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE OR IN MINNESOTA, WHERE REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE WORKD WITH DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TO BUY -- TWO PASS LEGISLATION -- WORKED WITH THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TO PASS LEGISLATION SAFER AT HOME IS WORKING. SAVING LIVES IS THE BEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL -- IN SAVING LIVES, IT IS THE BEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL OF SAVING LIVES AND PREVENT HOSPITALS WERE BEING OVERRUN. THAT IS WHY MY MINISTRY SHOULD HAS ASKED THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT -- THAT IS WHY MY ADMINISTRATION HAS ASKED THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT TO SHOOT DOWN THE LEGISLATURE TO STOP SAFER AT HOME. IT IS NECESSARY TO CONTROL COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. LAWS WOULD TRIP PAST IN RESPONSE TO FREQUENT OUTBREAKS OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN EARLY 20TH CENTURY. WISCONSIN IS OF 42 STATES THAT HAVE USED THESE LAWS TO QUICKLY COMBATED -- TO QUICKLY COMBAT AND CONTAIN COVID-19. INSTEAD OF HAVING HIS CONSTANT QUICKL MAKING A DECISION TO SAVE LIVES, THE LAWSUIT WANTED TO WALK THE SAFER AT HOME, AND GO THROUGH A LONG RULEMAKING PROCESS. DEADLY VIRUSES DON’T WAIT AROUND WHILE BUREAUCRATS AND POLITICIANS JUMP THROUGH PROCEDURAL HOOPS. AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE REQUIRES SWIFT ACTION, WHICH IS WHY STATE LAWS AGAINST DHS AND ACTED QUICKLY TO STOP THE PANDEMIC AND SAVE LIVES. I AM READY TO PUT THIS SILLY LAWSUIT BEHIND US AND WORK REPUBLICANS TO JOIN ME IN DOING WHAT IS RIGHT TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS VIRUS HAS KILLED MORE THAN 300 OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS. THOUSANDS ARE SICK. TENS OF THOUSANDS ARE EXPERIENCING ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY. PEOPLE IN THIS STATE ARE SCARED AND THEY WANT US TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP THEM SAFE. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THIS DEVASTATION AND FEAR MORE THAN OUR HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE. I CONTINUE TO BE BLOWN AWAY BY THE RESPONSE OF OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND CAREGIVERS WHETHER IT IS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS ON THE FRONT LINES, WORKING TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE, OUR MEDICAL LAB PROFESSIONALS PROCESSING COVID-19 TESTS 24/7, THE RETIRED HEALTH CARE WORKER STEPPING UP TO VOLUNTEER AND WE’RE SEEING FOLKS SURVEY BECAUSE GREATER THAN THEMSELVES -- WE’RE SEEING FOLKS SERVE A CAUSE GREATER THAN THEMSELVES. IN THESE CHALLENGING AND UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, NURSES CONTINUE TO RISE TO THE OCCASION, PROVIDING COMFORT AND CARE TO THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THEIR DARKEST DAYS. IN THE DANGER OF SPREADING THE VIRUS, PATIENTS ARE ISOLATED FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS. NURSES MIGHT BE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH PATIENTS, MAKING THEM A TRUE LIFELINE FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE LONELY, SICK, AND SCARED. I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH TO THANK OUR NURSES AND THE REST OF THE HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO HEAT THE CALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES DURING THIS CRISIS.