Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)

“I will say whether I’m glad to be here after the questions,” said Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) Chief Jeffrey Norman in a joking tone on Tuesday morning, during his opening remarks at a Milwaukee Press Club Newsmaker Luncheon. As he spoke, Norman glanced at the media panel, including David Clarey of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jessica McBride of Wisconsin Right Now and Jenna Rae of TMJ4 News. 

As Norman predicted, the panelists proceeded to keep him on the defensive throughout the contentious luncheon. Before he was peppered with questions about safety in downtown Milwaukee, police surveillance and whether officers should return to what courts have ruled were racially discriminatory and unconstitutional stop and frisk practices, Norman presented his own perspective on public safety in Wisconsin’s largest city. 

“I always like to start off by saying that I am proud to be the leader of the Milwaukee Police Department,” said Norman, thanking the men and women of MPD “who protect our city through challenging times, through good times, 365 days a year, seven days a week — holidays included.” Norman also thanked the community for supporting MPD after the killing of Officer Kendall Corder, who was shot while responding to a call about a subject with a gun. 

Corner was one of at least two officers who have been shot this year. Norman said of the killings that it’s important for MPD officers to feel that “even though we have challenging times, we know that we have a community that’s behind us, and who understands the challenges that we’re going through, in regards to the work of public safety in our community.”

Tremaine Jones (who has pleaded not guilty) was arrested for the slaying with MPD compiling witness statements, and locating a backpack on-scene containing Jones’ social security card, employee I.D., birth certificate, debit cards, and a receipt for the lower receiver of the gun police say was used in the shooting. Since 2018, there have been six MPD officers killed in the line of duty. 

As Norman moved on to the latest crime statistics, he cautioned that “the numbers are numbers, they’re data sets, but they’re not the reality of what you feel from a personal feeling, your perspective…Never will I ever say that what you feel is not your reality, or the truth. And we have to work to continue to address those concerns.”

Citing the MPD’s mid-year crime statistics report, Norman told the audience at Milwaukee’s Newsroom Pub that there has been: 

• A 17% violent crime reduction
• 7% property crime reduction
• 11% reduction overall for serious crimes
  

“And let me put that in the proper context,” Norman said, “this is on top of reductions in 2024.” According to MPD’s crime statistics dashboard, since this time last year Milwaukee has seen an 18% decline in non-fatal shootings, a 44% decline in car jackings, a 24% decline in robberies, and another 21% decline in aggravated assaults. “Now, the elephant in the room, yes homicides are up,” said Norman. In 2024, there were 132 people who lost their lives to homicide incidents in Milwaukee. A little over half way through 2025, there have been 93 deaths.

 

 

At the time of the mid-year report, homicides were up 13%, though the most recent numbers on the online dashboard show a 9% increase. “I always say this, anything [more] than zero is unacceptable,” said Norman. The dashboard also shows a 32% increase in human trafficking since last year, and a 52% increase since 2023. Norman didn’t address this increase, and the panelists and audience members didn’t ask about it.

Norman focused on the homicide increase, highlighting what he called “the undercurrent of what these homicides are about” — inter-personal conflict and violence that escalates into harm or death. “Poor conflict resolution,” he said, “availability of firearms to our youth. These are things that we can work together to impact, to intervene, to intercede.” 

While MPD is adept at finding high-level offenders in the community, with the department boasting a nearly 80% clearance rate for solving homicides, Norman emphasized that “it’s not enough to have somebody in custody for such a horrible crime. It’s more important to prevent it.” Collaboration has been a key asset for MPD including working with community groups, elected officials and partnerships with other law enforcement agencies including the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and State Patrol. “When we work together we are better, together, said Norman. “Leaning into the collaboration, leaning into the partnerships truly is where the rubber meets the road, so that we’re able to address when we have a flare-up of crime on Hampton Avenue, or during Cinco de Mayo, or during Juneteenth, or during Water Street, or during the Puerto Rican Fest.” Although Norman said that his own legacy has never motivated his service, he hopes to be remembered as a chief who was there, and who cared, he said, when the Milwaukee Bucks celebrated winning the NBA championship, during the  COVID-19 pandemic, the Republican National Convention and the historic floods just days ago. “He was there,” Norman said of himself. “He cared.” 

A grilling by the media panel 

The first media panel question came from Clarey of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about MPD’s use of surveillance technology. The department’s use of facial recognition software, drones and other technologies have raised concerns about privacy and due process. 

Norman said that some public safety investigations and interventions have been “wrapped up in a more quick and efficient manner by utilizing the technology.” He mentioned Flock cameras the department uses to monitor license plates and identify vehicles taken in car jackings. He also noted facial recognition technology used in repeat sexual assault and homicide cases. “These are what is going on with this particular technology,” said Norman. “I am very sensitive to the concerns about surveillance, abuse, but I say this, as any tool that can be utilized by law enforcement, has the ability to be abused. It’s about what are the bumper rails? What are the expectations? What is the oversight?” 

Norman said his department is committed to oversight and dialogue with the community about the technology. Yet, he also feels that the fears that he’s heard about surveillance technology are often “speculative.” By contrast, the chief said he could describe numerous concrete examples of carjacking suspects and people who committed violent crimes who were apprehended because of the technology. “That is what is going on,” said Norman, “and if there’s any tools that the Milwaukee Police Department can utilize to ensure that there is direct, serious and quick accountability, we shall use it.”

McBride, a journalism lecturer at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and contributor to the right-wing website Wisconsin Right Now, asked if Norman would support calling on the city to end its obligations under the Collins settlement, the result of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin, which found that MPD had utilized racially motivated and unconstitutional stop and frisk practices for decades. 

McBride said that she’s heard from officers who feel that the agreement, which mandated changes to MPD’s practices, has made it “difficult if not impossible” to do “proactive policing.” McBride cited a decline in “field interviews,” or officers talking to and gathering information from people, as well as traffic stops. She connected those changes to the rise of reckless driving in Milwaukee. Norman said that officials have focused on checks and balances to ensure that MPD is compliant, but that he also agrees that the Collins settlement should be “heavily modified.” 

The agreement carries “a number of administrative burdens,” Norman said, stressing that he wholly supports constitutional policing. “There is really no wiggle room,” said Norman. “At the end of a shift, reports need to be filed. Some of our officers have done two shifts. They’re tired…There’s a cost associated with this, that’s overtime being used.” Norman said that MPD no longer sees the sort of constitutional violations which led to the Collins settlement, and that the department has shown itself to be responsible, and that things will never “backslide” on his watch.

Rae of TMJ4 asked about an incident involving a car that crashed through a police barrier in downtown Milwaukee, severely injuring two women who were crossing the street. She pushed Norman to explain why “no detectives interviewed the victims or any of the bystanders to follow up on the investigation after that crash?” 

Norman said that the investigation went as far as it needed to go, and that it culminated in “accountability measures,” which included issuing citations. Rae, unsatisfied, pushed back saying Norman didn’t answer her question, but the chief reiterated that officers were on scene, interviews were done, and that nothing more was required. An awkward silence followed as the microphone passed back to Clarey, who asked about Norman’s support of city ordinances related to so-called “street takeovers”, where people noisily gather in intersections and do tricks with their cars. Later, Rae pressed Norman further on the car crash. He said he was unprepared to focus on the specific details she wanted him to discuss.

McBride asked Norman about his $65,000 raise, bringing his salary to $243,000, and added that MPD officers have gone without a raise for over two years. She asked Norman why he accepted the raise, whether he’d suspend his raise until other MPD officers receive one, and whether he supports officers getting back-pay from the city. Norman said that he earned his raise not only through his credentials, which include a law degree, but also through the amount of hours he puts in as chief.

“I sometimes work maybe 12-14 hours, work Saturdays and Sundays, I’m actually really never off,” said Norman. “It is important to understand that no one has given me anything for free, the work that I do is earned.” In 2022, CBS58 reported that over a dozen officers made more money than the chief due to overtime pay. 

Norman said he supports contract negotiations that could include back pay for officers, and that the process is in the hands of the Milwaukee Police Association and the mayor. McBride pressed again about how his raise hurts officer morale and whether he supports officers getting back pay. 

Norman was also asked about officers being sent away from their own districts to work downtown and whether “broken windows” policing — a strategy that favors tight control of even small infractions to create an overall climate of safety — should be brought back. McBride suggested he did not have “an articulable policing strategy.” 

Norman was asked how he defines reckless driving; how a driver could crash into people after driving through a police barrier and “not see a day in court”; why reckless drivers without insurance retain their vehicles; how MPD retains recruits; whether prosecutors and judges should mete out tougher charges and penalties; how the Black Lives Matter protests and media reporting of policing hurts the profession and how MPD has achieved declines in carjackings. He expressed disappointment that reporters were focusing on certain incidents rather than others — including a deceased 13-year-old who wasn’t claimed for over a week, another 13-year-old who shot and killed people with an extended magazine firearm and crime on the South Side. Norman said in those cases “I wish you had the type of reporting as you have right now.”

Norman responded to a question from Wisconsin Examiner about inter-personal violence in the community and whether arresting more people and bringing more serious charges is the most effective strategy. 

“When you’re talking about inter-personal conflict, how or why does it rise [to] a level of firearm violence is perplexing,” he said. “The other day we had a situation where a person was inappropriately touched. She sees the individual who inappropriately touched her, wants to confront that person, and [in] that particular confrontation someone dies, because a firearm was used.” It would have been better to call the police than to try to resolve things with a firearm, he said.  

Therapists and social scientists might have better answers to questions about violent behavior, he said. But, he added, he is committed to strengthening community partnerships with public health and safety teams, mental health specialists and other non-law-enforcement experts to try to resolve conflicts before they become violent. Many situations that escalate into homicides and firearm violence are “emotional,” he said. MPD embraces violence intervention and encourages people to be more introspective instead of  “going zero to 90.” 

“I do know that we’re not going to be able to arrest our way out of this,” Norman said of social conflict that can turn violent. Solving Milwaukee’s homicide cases is important but, he said, the community should ask, “How do we prevent it from happening, to where we don’t even have those numbers? That’s the real question.”

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RENO, Nev. —  Transfinder took home best hardware, software and safety technology awards for the second consecutive year and RIDE won best green technology for the third year in a row, as judged by STN EXPO West attendees during the trade show held July 14 and 15.

The 153 attendees who cast votes in the fourth annual STN EXPO Innovation Choice Awards represented a rise in participation from last year’s 125 votes. Exhibitor and guest votes were not counted. Eligible voters represented school districts, state or federal organizations, Head Start agencies, and school bus contractors.

To be eligible for an entry, participating trade show vendors had to introduce a new, market-ready product between January 2024 and July 2025. STN EXPO attendees voted by scanning a QR code at participating company booths.

The Schenectady, New York, company received 114 votes for Best Safety Technology, 123 votes for Best Hardware and 121 votes for Best Software. It was the fourth year in a row that Transfinder won the Best Software category, the third consecutive year winning Best Hardware, and the second year it took all three categories.

Transfinder entered the three products in all three categories.

Stopfinder Digital Card ID turns a student’s Android or IOS cellphone into their ID card. “This advancement eliminates the need for substituting RFID cards and/or replacing lost costs. This technology augments Transfinder’s parent app Stopfinder, providing parents peace of mind that their child made the bus and tracking the bus’s location,” Transfinder stated in its nomination.

Meanwhile, Transfinder Enterprise includes everything from route visibility to attendance routing, posts to student lookup. Transfinder’s Wayfinder ETA dashboard and real-time capability can now be shared with school building personnel and other stakeholders in Viewfinder. This capability enhances communication. Additionally, using the driver app, Wayfinder, the most efficient route based on student riders can be generated.

“For example, a late bus can have different students riding different days depending on the activities they participate in,” Transfinder stated. “When students scan their ID cards as they get on the late bus, for example, the safest and most efficient route is created for the driver.”

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Related: Innovation Awards Returns to STN EXPO, Vote on Site
Related: (STN Podcast E265) Onsite at STN EXPO West: Innovations & Partnerships for School Transportation Success
Related: Transfinder Scores Hat Trick with STN EXPO Innovation Choice Awards

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Users can post on any record type, such as student, trip or vehicle to facilitate a conversation around that record. The information is then accessible across all Transfinder solutions.

Transfinder said its map incidents solution tackles a growing concern of students crossing by adding a functionality in Routefinder PLUS to “view where students not just cross the street to get on the bus but what streets they cross on their way to the bus. With PLUS, users can embed trip and street data and logic into their maps and trips, making it easier for routers to design safer trips.”

Transfinder noted, adding the data is then viewed on Wayfinder.

Meanwhile, BYD electric school bus spinoff RIDE was unopposed last month in the green technology category. The manufacturer was attendees’ choice for the third consecutive year, this time for its blade battery (below). The manufacturer won the same category last year for its Type C “Creator” and in 2023 for its Type A “Achiever.” The lithium iron phosphate blade battery features a direct cell-to-pack design, utilizing thin “blade-like” cells that eliminate the need for conventional modules.

The post Transfinder, RIDE Win Big with STN EXPO Innovation Awards appeared first on School Transportation News.

Electric models play a growing role in Kia’s global strategy, and the company has built a reputation for crafting some of the most compelling EVs in the business. But in the States, that reputation isn’t quite translating to strong sales this year.

Read: Kia Sold Just 37 EV9s In May, But A Gas Sedan Is On Fire

While Kia’s overall numbers are up, its two flagship electric models are moving in the opposite direction. Both the EV6 and EV9 saw steep drops in sales. The absence of the smaller EV5 and EV3 from North American showrooms may be starting to feel like a missed opportunity.

Electric Sales Hit a Wall

The latest sales data reveal that Kia sold 4,938 examples of the EV9 in the United States in the first six months of the year. That’s a massive drop of nearly 49% from the 9,671 sold over the same period in 2024. Things were no better in June, with just 913 new EV9s finding homes across the country, down 52% compared to the 1,905 sold in June 2024.

The EV6’s performance is also on a downward spiral. Year-to-date, sales are down 46%, with 5,875 units sold compared to 10,941 in H1 2024. Things were particularly bad in June. While 2,171 Kia EV6s were sold in June 2024, only 680 were delivered the same month this year, a devastating decline of 69%.

While we suspect some Kia executives may be worried about these numbers, especially given the looming end of the federal tax credits at the end of September, they can at least celebrate a strong start to 2025 across the rest of its range.

Gasoline Models Pick Up the Slack

Despite the dip in EV sales, Kia’s broader lineup has helped the brand start 2025 on a high note. Total U.S. sales reached 416,511 units through June, up 8 percent from 386,460 in the first half of 2024. That momentum slowed slightly in June itself, with 63,849 vehicles sold compared to 65,929 a year ago.

The standout so far has been the K5 sedan. Kia has moved 34,565 K5s this year, up from 12,807 cars sold in the first half of 2024. That’s a nearly threefold increase, giving the once-overlooked midsize sedan some well-deserved attention.

The Carnival minivan also got a sizable boost. Sales are up 57 percent to 33,152 units, from 21,083 at this point last year. The Telluride, one of Kia’s most in-demand models, has climbed 15 percent to 61,502 units from 53,700. And the Sportage continues to hold its title as Kia’s top seller in the United States, with sales growing 9 percent year-over-year, reaching 87,172 units.

KIA US SALES

As diesel school buses reach the end of their lifeline, many school districts are exploring battery-electric options as a cleaner, healthier, and more cost-effective alternative. While there may be initial concerns around workforce readiness, safety, and driver experience, the transition to electric school buses brings a host of benefits – and we’re here to help guide you through it.

Will I need to find new trained and skilled personnel to operate and maintain these new electric buses?

A successful shift to electric school buses does depend on a knowledgeable workforce, but that doesn’t mean starting from scratch. At RIDE, we offer a tiered training program that covers everything from basic maintenance to advanced technical diagnostics, designed to support your team every step of the way.

We understand that each school district has unique needs, which is why we customize our support to fit your specific requirements – whether through the RIDE customer service team or our network of authorized maintenance dealers. Our team is always just a phone call away, ready to guide you through the transition with personalized assistance every step of the way.

How do electric school buses improve rider safety?

Safety, especially battery safety, is our top priority. RIDE school buses are purpose-built and equipped with lithium-iron phosphate battery technology offering a reliable and secure solution for student transportation.

RIDE batteries undergo extensive testing including crushing, heat and puncture resistance, and come with a 12-year warranty. Through innovative technologies, rigorous testing, and comprehensive training programs, RIDE goes above and beyond to ensure battery safety – offering a level of assurance that sets us apart from our competitors in the market.

In addition to battery safety, RIDE electric school buses have successfully passed some of the most rigorous structural tests in the industry, including a side intrusion test and the Colorado Racking and Kentucky Pull Test, ensuring maximum structural integrity and safety.

Furthermore, RIDE buses are equipped with all key industry-standard safety components. Our engineering team works closely with suppliers to continuously enhance product safety from the rider’s perspective.

Will electric school buses affect driver performance?

Electric school buses are designed to enhance, not hinder, driver performance. Many drivers report a smoother and more responsive driving experience compared to diesel buses. With instant torque and regenerative braking, electric buses provide greater control and easier handling, particularly in stop-and-go traffic or on hilly routes.

The quiet operation of electric school buses heightens the driver’s ability to monitor the school bus and its passengers. The overall reduced noise level allows for clearer communication between the driver, students, and any adults on the bus, especially during emergencies or stops. The sustainable design also helps reduce harmful emissions, improving air quality for students – especially those with asthma or respiratory issues.

In addition, the quiet operation of electric buses helps reduce driver fatigue and allows for better focus. Without the constant rumble of a diesel engine, drivers can more easily hear and communicate with students, leading to a calmer and safer ride.

The shift to battery-electric school buses represents more than just a change in technology – it’s a commitment to cleaner air, healthier communities, and a more sustainable future for our students. While the transition may come with questions, solutions are already in place to support every step of the journey. Let’s take the next step forward, together.

Learn more at ride.co. Read Jason Yan’s Q&A from the July issue of School Transportation News and co-CEO Patrick Duan’s Q&A from the June issue.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post Moving Forward Together Toward a Battery-Electric Future appeared first on School Transportation News.

Community members replace a Pride flag that was torn down at an Appleton home on June 25, 2025 | Photo by Andrew Kennard/Wisconsin Examiner

APPLETON – Last week, toward the end of LGBTQ Pride Month, a crowd gathered outside the home of Benji Roe and Alex Frantz, where a Pride flag had reportedly been vandalized in late May. 

In a press release, the advocacy group Citizen Action of Wisconsin said “their flag reading the word ‘HUMAN’ in pride colors and its mount was ripped out of the side of the home and torn off of its flagpole.” 

“The flagpole had been bent, and the mounting bracket irreparably damaged,” Roe said at a press conference Thursday evening. “While we are grateful that no further property damage occurred, this incident reminds us that safety and dignity are still privileges not equally shared by all. This wasn’t just vandalism. This was a message.”

A local organizer told the Examiner that isn’t an isolated incident in the area, and speakers at the press conference talked about the impact of Pride flags on LGBTQ people. During the press conference, a new Pride flag went up at Roe and Frantz’s home.

“So today, on the 10-year anniversary of the federal legalization of same-sex marriage, we raise a new flag,” Roe said. “Not just in defiance, but in honor of all of those who have suffered because of hate, here in our community and everywhere that hate still exists.”

Police deemed what happened to Roe and Frantz a targeted attack, according to Citizen Action. 

Reiko Ramos, statewide anti-violence program director for the group Diverse & Resilient, which has a program that serves LGBTQ survivors of violence, shared a story at the press conference about a youth seeking the help of someone flying a Pride flag outside his home. 

“Complete strangers, they had never met,” Ramos said. “But they knew that his home was a safe place, that they could knock on their door. They were fleeing from their family, because they were experiencing domestic violence as a result of their identity… This youth actually knocked on the door and said, ‘I don’t know you, but I think you might be someone that I can ask for help.’” 

“And that is how this young person got connected to our services,” Ramos said. 

Mary Bogen, chairperson of the advocacy group Hate Free Outagamie (HFO), went to the press conference at Roe and Frantz’s home. She said she lives down the street.

“There’s a lot of people within this area that have had their Pride flags ripped down or had their houses vandalized for displaying pride flags,” Bogen said.

Bogen said that in some cases, she’s heard from people at Hate Free Outagamie events that they know who is responsible for stealing their Pride flag but don’t feel comfortable reporting it to the police. 

Bogen told the Examiner that  the LGBTQ+ community in Appleton is strong and thriving but that their resilience shouldn’t be necessary to walk down the street. 

“We often face open hostility, whether at a recent vigil we held for victims of the Pulse shooting or simply leaving a Pride event,” Bogen said. “People scream slurs from cars, film us for harassment, and sneer as if bigotry is a civic pastime. And too often, it’s done under the banner of a certain kind of patriotism. This isn’t just incidents, it’s a pattern. We refuse to accept it as normal. Our community deserves safety, respect, and the freedom to exist without fear. That’s why Hate Free Outagamie is working to establish a Trans Sanctuary in Outagamie County.”

In September 2023, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted to become a sanctuary for transgender and non-binary people, and Dane County made a similar decision earlier that year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. 

Under the Milwaukee resolution, if the state of Wisconsin passes a law “that imposes criminal or civil punishments, fines, or professional sanctions on any person or organization that seeks, provides, receives or helps someone to receive gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, hormones, or surgery, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors urges the Milwaukee County Sheriff to make enforcement their lowest priority.”

Vered Meltzer, a local alder and reportedly the first openly transgender individual to hold elected office in Wisconsin, said there is “still so much work to be done in Appleton to make things better, but we are the ones who build the world into the community that we want it to be.”

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Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies during her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on June 25, 2025. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions pressed President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccine recommendations Wednesday after the Health and Human Services secretary fired members of a critical vaccine panel this month.

Trump’s pick, former acting CDC Director Susan Monarez, said that she trusted vaccines while defending HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision this month — widely seen as part of a vaccine-skeptical agenda — to fire all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, and recommend eight new members.

“Part of the secretary’s vision in restoring public trust is making sure that the American people can be confident in the way the evidence and science is driving decision-making,” she told senators.

The panel’s seven members — one dropped out this week — will meet Wednesday and Thursday to review data and vote on new vaccine recommendations. The recommendations carry significant weight as insurance providers and federal health programs like Medicaid use them to determine if shots are covered and schools rely on them for immunization mandates.

Cassidy questions

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the committee, said he was concerned about ACIP, especially as a non-CDC staff member is scheduled to give a presentation to the committee about thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative. The panel is expected to vote on approving flu shots that contain the compound.

Lyn Redwood, the former head of Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group that Kennedy founded, is giving the presentation arguing that thimerosal causes autism. The CDC’s own research shows that thimerosal does not cause autism. 

Cassidy said that while Monarez had no part in this week’s ACIP meeting, or the agenda, he said that “if the ACIP hearing today is being used to sow distrust, I would ask that going forward, that you would make sure that there really was a balanced perspective.”

“Yes, someone can speak as a critic, but there should be someone who is reviewing the overwhelming evidence of the safety of vaccines,” Cassidy, who is a physician, said.

Monarez, who was the agency’s acting director from January to March, said that she trusted vaccines and that immunization was important to save lives.

If Monarez is confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first director of the CDC without a medical degree in nearly 70 years. She has a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology.

More concerns about vaccine panel

Cassidy was not the only Republican on the panel concerned about the firing of all the members of ACIP.

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was concerned about the backgrounds of the seven new panelists.

“I would hope that one of the things that you would all be looking into is to make sure that these individuals are going to be looking at the science in front of them, (and) leave their political bias at home,” Murkowski said.

Democratic Sens. Patty Murray of Washington state and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland also pressed Monarez about Kennedy’s actions to fire everyone on the panel.

Murray asked Monarez if the new members of the panel voted to not recommend vaccines, if she would listen to that recommendation.

Monarez sidestepped the question and said the roles at ACIP were difficult to fill and that members needed to pass an ethics process.

“If they have not gone through an ethics approval process they shouldn’t be participating in the meetings,” she said.

Alsobrooks asked Monarez if she believed the 17 members fired from ACIP lacked qualifications.

Monarez did not answer the question, but said Kennedy’s reasoning for “resetting the ACIP to a new cohort was going to be on the path of restoring public trust.”

Grant funding and layoffs

Senators also raised concerns about grants that had been canceled, even though Congress already approved the funds.

Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins, who is the chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said that her state is suffering from a high level of Lyme disease and as a result a vaccine was in the works at a research institute in Maine.

“This vaccine is very promising and I want to make sure that it is allowed to continue to its conclusion,” Collins said.

Monarez agreed and said if she is confirmed, she will specifically work to make sure funding for that vaccine continues.

“It’s ironic that our dogs can get a vaccine to protect them against tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease but we humans can’t and I hope we can remedy that,” Collins said.

Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, pressed Monarez about the elimination of the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC. He asked if she was involved in laying off all the staff in April, the month after her brief stint as acting director ended.

“I had no participation in (the layoffs) after I left,” she said.

Fluoride in water

Alsobrooks pressed Monarez about Kennedy’s push to have the CDC stop recommending that low levels of fluoride be placed in public drinking water.

Fluoride is added in drinking water to help prevent cavities, tooth decay and other dental health issues.

Alsobrooks asked Monarez, who is her constituent, if the public water supply that contains fluoride in Potomac, Maryland, where Monarez lives, was safe to drink.

“I believe the water in Potomac, Maryland, is safe,” Monarez said.