ICYMI: On the Issues: Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul
MADISON, Wis. – In a new interview with UpNorthNews, Attorney General Josh Kaul discussed his first-term accomplishments, as well as his plans for the next four years.
AG Kaul also highlighted how Eric Toney’s promise to enforce Wisconsin’s draconian 19th-century abortion ban and support for Michael Gableman’s sham election investigation makes him the wrong choice for Wisconsin.
UpNorth News: On the Issues: Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul
Cherita: So it’s fair to say that you will not enforce that [abortion] ban?
Josh: I’ve been clear that we’re not going to shift our resources at the Wisconsin Department of Justice that go to things like investigating and prosecuting some of the most serious crimes in Wisconsin. We’re not going to shift those to investigating and prosecuting people for abortions. Now, my opponent has a completely different view. He said he would withdraw from our lawsuit on day one in office and help keep that draconian ban in place. He’s also been clear that he’s eager to enforce that ban, which means putting nurses or doctors or even a family member who drives somebody to a clinic behind bars for something that for almost 50 years had been understood to be a constitutional right. I think that is wrong. I think it is bad for Wisconsinites and I’m going to keep fighting against it.
Cherita: Public safety is obviously a big issue for voters. Can you talk a little bit about what your priorities are around this area?
Josh: Public safety is my top priority as attorney general. At the Wisconsin Department of Justice, we have investigated and prosecuted some of the most serious crimes in the state of Wisconsin. I was a federal prosecutor in Baltimore and I prosecuted large scale drug traffickers, gang members, and murderers to work to make communities safer. As attorney general, under my leadership, the Department of Justice has put people behind bars for homicides for sex offenses, for internet crimes against children, and for drug trafficking among many other offenses. It’s critical that we are ensuring that people who commit serious crimes end up behind bars.
I’ve also proposed a public safety plan that can strengthen our community, the Safer Wisconsin plan, which would invest in communities across the state. We also need to crack down on gun violence. I have been a strong proponent for common sense gun safety measures like universal background checks that get rid of the loopholes that we have in our system.
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Cherita: Some candidates have said freedom is on the ballot this November. Do you agree or disagree?
Josh: I do agree. This is the first election we’re going to have after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. People are going to think of this election for years to come as the election that came after Roe was overturned. There is going to be one of two messages sent. One message that could be sent is that people’s rights can be taken away, their freedoms can be taken away, and they’re not going to respond at the polls. That’s not a message that I want to see sent. It’s not a message that I think we’re going to see sent. The other message is if you take the freedoms of Wisconsinites away, you’re gonna see that reflected in the ballot box because voters will vote you out of office. I think there is a groundswell of support for people who want to protect reproductive freedom.
That’s not the only freedom that’s at stake either. Our freedom to vote has been under attack as well. I’m proud during my time in office to have defended against efforts to deactivate tens of thousands of Wisconsinites from the voter rolls. I joined other states and challenged the postal service when it tried to slow down the mail prior to the 2020 election. After the 2020 election, my office defended the will of the voters; we won in every case. I’m proud to have stood up to Michael Gableman and his fake investigation into the 2020 elections. Again, that’s a clear differentiator in our race.
My opponent has embraced the support of Michael Gableman, and he supported his fake investigation. He’s alleged that election officials broke the law and should be removed from office. I think we need an attorney general who we can count on to stand up for our freedom to vote and the will of the voters, not somebody who is going to fan the flames of these conspiracy theories and attacks on our democracy.
Read the full interview HERE.
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