FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M ADITI DEBNATH.
>> TODAY, PEOPLE PACKED THE FISERV FORUM ARENA IN MILWAUKEE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF FORMER U.S.
SENATOR AND PHILANTHROPY PITTS HERB KOHL WHO PASSED AWAY TWO DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS.
SPECIAL PROJECTS JOURNALIST MURV SEYMORE HAS MORE.
>> SINCE HIS PASSING, THE FLAG AT THE STATE CAPITOL AND OTHER BUILDINGS FLY AT HALF-STAFF IN MEMORY OF HERB KOHL.
>> THE BUCKS SUGGESTED HONORING HER W STATUE OUTSIDE THE ARENA.
MY UNCLE DECLINED SAYING I'M JUST NOT A STATUE KIND OF GUY.
>> FROM INSIDE THE ARENA HE HELPED FUND, ENTER THE STREET THAT SHARES HIS NAME, HIS MEMORIAL SERVICE.
>> SAYING GOOD-BYE TO HERB AFTER MORE THAN 80 YEARS OF SAYING HELLO AND SO MANY MORE WELCOMING AND POSITIVE WORDS WAS REALLY DIFFICULT.
>> IT'S FITTING THE TRIBUTE TO COALE IS OPEN TO ALL OF MILWAUKEE AND WISCONSIN, THE CITY WHERE HE GREW UP AND THE STATE HE SERVED.
PEOPLE PROUDLY REMEMBER THE FOUR-TIME U.S.
SENATOR WITH THE LEGENDARY SLOGAN, NOBODY'S SENATOR BUT YOURS.
FOLLOWING HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS IN THE 1970s, COALE AND HIS BROTHER LED THE BOOMING GROWTH OF COALE'S GROCERY STORES WHICH BEGAN IN MILWAUKEE AND GREW INTO A BRAND OF OVER 1,100 DEPARTMENT STORES IN EVERY STATE BUT HAWAII.
HE'S BEEN A FAMILI AR FACE HERE ON OUR POLITICAL PROGRAMMING.
>> TONIGHT, WE'LL INTERVIEW SUSAN ENGELEITER AND HERB KOHL.
>> NEVER HEARD AND WITH NO KIDS, THE FORMER LEADER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN NEVER LOST AN ELECTION, NEVER TOOK CONTRIBUTIONS FROM POLITICAL COMMITTEES OR SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS.
>> I SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE HELPING TO ENHANCE THE ECONOMY OF WISCONSIN.
>> ONE OF HIS BIGGEST INTERESTS, BUYING AND SAVING THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS IN IS THE 85 WORTH AT THE TIME AN UNHEARD OF $18 MILLION.
HE SOLD THE PEOPLE IN 2014 FOR $550 MILLION, DONATING $100 MILLION OF IT TOWARD BUILDING A NEW ARENA TO HELP ONCE AGAIN KEEP THE TEAM FROM EVER LEAVING HIS HOMETOWN.
>> YOU DID IT WITHOUT THE TENS AND ONES.
>> HIS SPIRIT TO GIVE LIVES ON.
HIS TIME, HIS EFFORTS, HIS MILLIONS OF TOWARD FUNDING TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND VARIOUS AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT PLACES LIKE THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
HE PUT HIS FOOT DOWN AND FORCED MORE FUNDING FOR ENFORCEMENT TO FIGHT DRUG TRAFFICKERS AND JUVENILE JUSTICE.
HE LED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FORCING SAFETY LOCKS TO BE SOLD WITH GUNS.
HE HELPED LOWER THE PRICE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND PASSED LAWS FOR BETTER BACKGROUND CHECKS AT NURSING HOMES TO BETTER PROTECT SENIORS.
IN WASHINGTON, HE PROUDLY FOUGHT FOR FARMERS, ESPECIALLY WISCONSIN FARMERS.
>> HAVING SAFETY NETS THAT GO TO PRODUCERS SO THAT WHEN TIMES REALLY GET BAD, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, THEY'RE NOT ALL FORCED TO GO UNDER.
>> AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN IN MADISON, HIS ALMA MATER, COALE'S $25 MILLION DONATION HELPED BUILD THE 76-MILLION-DOLLAR KOHL CENTER, AND THE LARGEST DONATION EVER, HERB KOHL SMILES DOING WHAT HE MIGHT HAVE LO LOVED DOING MOST: GIVING.
REPORTING FOR HEAR AND NOW, I'M MURV SEYMORE.
>> HERB KOHL WAS 88.
FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG