MUCH FOR YOUR EXPERTISE.

APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> THE ANNUAL DAY OF IMMIGRANT WORKERS RIGHTS ON MAY 1st SAW DEMONSTRATIONS IN MADISON AND MILWAUKEE THIS WEEK.

AMONG ITS GOALS, ADVOCATING FOR DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR IMMIGRANTS.

MEANWHILE, THE REPUBLICAN LED BUDGET COMMITTEE THIS WEEK AXED 545 ITEMS FROM THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET, INCLUDING DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR ALL.

THERE'S AN ESTIMATED 5,000 MIGRANT WORKERS ARRIVING IN WISCONSIN ANNUALLY TO WORK FARMING OR FOOD PROCESSING JOBS.

FOR MORE, WE TURN TOP TONY GONZALEZ, DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF MARATHON COUNTY, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON YOUR PROGRAM.

>> SO WHY ARE DRIVER'S LICENSES SO IMPORTANT FOR THE IMMIGRANT WORKER POPULATION?

>> WELL, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT EVEN THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC THEY'VE JUST EXPERIENCED, IT WAS THOSE IMMIGRANT WORKERS OUT IN THE FIELDS PUTTING THE FOOD ON AMERICA'S TABLE, AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT IMMIGRANTS, THE REALITY IS THAT THEY'RE WORKING, THAT BUSINESSES ARE HIRING THEM AND NEEDING THEIR LABOR AND OTHERWISE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A LOT OF PRODUCTION, AND PARTICULARLY HERE IN NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN, WHERE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS NON-EXISTENT, JUST ABOUT, VERY LIMITED, AND THE DISTANCES ARE SO GREAT.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY GET THEIR IN A SAFE WAY AND ALSO YOU DON'T WANT -- YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THOSE IMMIGRANTS' KIDS ARE AMERICAN-BORN KIDS, THEY GO TO SCHOOLS, THEY NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITALS, THEY NEED TO ARRIVE THERE IN A SAFE WAY SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING THAT PEOPLE DO SO IN A SAFE WAY AND THAT WE KNOW THAT -- WE ALL WANT TO KNOW THAT THOSE THAT ARE SHARING THE ROADS BUT IT IS ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD.

>> SOME CRITICS SAY THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO FRAUD OR ILLEGAL VOTING.

WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?

>> YOU KNOW, THAT IS A NARRATIVE THAT IS NOT TRUE.

NUMBER ONE, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, YOU HAVE TO BLAME THE PEOPLE AT THE VOTING POLLS BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE TO SHOW THEIR I.D.

AND THE OFFER HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE AREN'T GOING TO BE -- I.D.

CARDS THAT ARE VERY SPECIFICALLY GOING TO SAY NOT FOR VOTING, SO THEY'RE NOT REAL I.D.

COMPLIANT AS THEY HAVE TO BE, SO IT'S GOING TO BE VERY CLEARLY MARKED THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO VOTE, AND I'VE GOT TO ADD SOMETHING TO THAT.

THE POPULATION ALSO HAS NO INTEREST IN DOING THAT.

THEIR INTEREST IS BEING ABLE TO GET ON THE ROAD SAFELY.

>> HOW IS THE TIDE TURNING ON THIS ISSUE, THOUGH, BETWEEN THE WORKER SHORTAGE AND THE PROMOTING PUBLIC SAFETY?

>> WELL, I THINK WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT THINGS ARE CHANGING.

THE CONVERSATION HAS CHANGED TO BE MORE EDUCATIONAL, WHERE OUR LEGISLATORS UNDERSTAND THE NEED THAT BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE INDUSTRY NEEDS FOR THE WORKERS AND THAT SAFETY IS SOMETHING THAT IS INCREDIBLY BIG, NOT ONLY JUST ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT UNDOCUMENTED WORKER, BUT THE REST OF US THAT ARE ON THE ROAD.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAVE INSURANCE, THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO DRIVE AND THAT WE ARE SAFE ON THE ROADS.

>> YOU SAID ANOTHER TOP ISSUE IN YOUR AREA WITH NOT VERY MUCH TIME LEFT HERE TO TALK, IS MENTAL HEALTH.

WHAT'S THE SITUATION?

>> WELL, WE FIND OURSELVES IN A VERY HARD SITUATION BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS TO START WITH, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S NOT MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS THAT SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OR THAT HAVE THE CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE.

SO WE HAVE TO BRIDGE THAT GAP.

HOPEFULLY WITH MORE PROFESSIONALS THAT CAN DO THAT, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THE USE OF PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE LANGUAGE, INTERPRETERS THAT CAN HELP BRIDGE THAT GAP IS VERY IMPORTANT HERE BECAUSE IT IS AN ISSUE WITH MANY OF OUR FARMERS, BEING A QUARTER OF AN INCH THEIR FAMILIES, -- BEING AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES, HAVING TO LIVE IN THE SHADOWS, AND DID ALSO GROWING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT IS A REALLY BIG BURDEN AND IT'S A BIG NEED HERE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND PROVIDERS TO HELP WITH THAT.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WELL, TONY GONZALEZ, THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR