Black and Latino lawmakers hold roundtable discussion at State Capitol

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Black and Latino lawmakers addressed issues facing their communities at the State Capitol Thursday.

Lawmakers with the Black and Latino Caucus hope to turn Thursday's discussion of ideas into concrete steps to accomplish policy changes in the state.

Issues like criminal justice reform, immigration, employment, education and health were highlighted as lawmakers listened to community leaders.

Gov. Evers was also in attendance, taking in the discussion.

Lawmakers say the roundtable was productive, and many of the ideas discussed are tied to bills already working their way through the Legislature.

Overall, both community leaders and lawmakers believe events like this help advance the voices of the black and Latino communities in the State Capitol.

"I think the more we talk about it, the more momentum it builds, and it can create a momentum that will support some of these initiatives. So I think it is a good step," said Ixayana Gonzales, a bilingual social worker with the Dane County DA Office. 

"The conversations were very robust," said Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee). "Clearly there wasn't enough time, but I think there were some common threads that came through, and so I was inspired."

Lawmakers say they hope to build and strengthen a network of community leaders across the state in order to address many topics discussed in a holistic way.