Battleground Wisconsin

We review Gov. Tony Evers’ first State of the State address this week, and the GOP lock step propaganda message in response. We discuss new reporting revealing the Walker campaign and its dark money allies spent an astounding $58 million in 2018 election, and its implications for democracy. We also check in on the latest GOP legislator attack on the Wisconsin Idea. Finally, we welcome Angelina Cruz, president of the Racine Education Association, to discuss the recently settled Los Angeles educators’ strike and the implications for Wisconsin.

We welcome Eric Marsch, Citizen Action of Wisconsin co-op leader and executive director of Southeastern WI NORML, to discuss news that Tony Evers supports legalization of marijuana. Evers announced this week that as a first step to full legalization he will include medical marijuana in his state budget. We discuss the junk GOP pre-existing conditions bill that is moving with lightening speed through the legislature, which is much worse than doing nothing. The panel also reviews Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s new legal effort to strike down some abortion damaging restrictions on women's reproductive health, and looks at the growing negative impact on Wisconsin of Donald Trump's government shutdown fiasco.

We welcome the new state treasurer and Citizen Action co-op member Sarah Godlewski to discuss the her first week in office. Sarah will join the show every 2nd week of the month to educate us on priorities to strengthen and improve the office’s financial watchdog functions. We talk about Governor Evers’ healthcare executive order and his direction to new AG Josh Kaul to reverse Wisconsin’s stance on the anti-ACA lawsuit. We also review news that groups will sue over lame duck session, a bipartisan legislative commission report proposing increased public school funding, and Sen. Chris Larson bill to prevent lawmakers from destroying public records. Finally, we are joined by Citizen Action Northeast Wisconsin Co-op organizer Jolie Lizotte to talk about what members are doing in this critical region and how to get involved.

We welcome in 2019 by discussing the upcoming state budget fight. We look at the budget priorities Tony Evers rolled out this week in the media, the potential timeline for his expected battle with the GOP-dominated Legislature, and how the fight for Medicaid expansion will be central. We review new GOP legislation that yet again fails to protect those with pre-existing conditions. Finally, we also preview the April 2019 Supreme Court race.

We close out 2018 by contrasting the legacies of House Speaker Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker as they prepare to leave office in early January. We review the lame duck session fall out, including the latest on the motion filed in Citizen Action's early voting lawsuit with One WI Now to block voting restrictions. We also discuss Tony Evers’ first cabinet appointments and a new audit revealing WEDC plans to pay for Foxconn jobs not located in Wisconsin.

We discuss the latest on the scandalous GOP lame duck, including the pending legal action against the early voting in Wisconsin. We welcome Citizen Action North Central Co-op organizer Joel Lewis to review the Wausau budget listening session with Tony Evers, which in openness stands in sharp contrast with the infamous GOP lame duck session. Former podcast panelist Jorna Taylor joins us to discuss Inaugural events and how to participate. We close with a special interview with Citizen Action Northeast Co-op member Eric Genrich, who is running for Mayor of Green Bay next spring.

We debrief the undemocratic Lame Duck power grab with the panel and special guest State Rep. Greta Neubauer. Thanks to everyone who contacted their state legislators, made calls to constituents, or went to the Capitol to testify and bear witness. We also welcome State Rep. Evan Goyke to look towards 2019 and the potential for criminal justice reform. Moving to the next critical election, we interview of State Supreme Court Candidate Justice Lisa Neubauer.

After debriefing Rebecca’s much needed vacation, we discuss the latest news on the GOP lame duck legislative session scheduled for next week. Contact your state legislators today to voice your opposition to the Republican power grab! Robert educates us on Evers’ newly minted healthcare policy advisory council, Evers' plan to expand Medicaid, and what we can expect the next Congress to do on healthcare. We also review the recent Amazon deal and throw some love to the Eau Claire City Council for making marijuana possession fines $1.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! We thank everyone who attended our Brew Fest fundraiser this week, including speakers Mandela Barnes, Gwen Moore and Judge Lisa Neubauer, candidate for State Supreme Court in April 2019. We discuss the potential GOP lame duck session in the State Legislature where Republican leaders want to take power away from Tony Evers before he is inaugurated the 45th Governor of Wisconsin. The Walker Administration reveals that it created a $1 billion dollar state deficit that was hidden from voters until after the election. We also bat around Walker’s petty unwillingness to apologize for his false accusations of incompetence in ballot count.

We review Tuesday’s historic election that swept Tony Evers, Mandela Barnes, Josh Kaul, and Sarah Godlewski into statewide office and overwhelmingly re-elected Tammy Baldwin to fight the Trump administration in Washington. We look at highlights and a few lost opportunities. We welcome Anita Johnson to discuss her organizing work and her role in the Citizen Action lawsuit the expanded access to early voting, which had a decisive late night role in Walker's defeat. We are also joined by Robyn Vining. who narrowly upset Matt Adamczyk in a Republican district in suburban Milwaukee, and Citizen Action organizer Jeff Smith, who overcame the growing urban/rural divide and won election to the State Senate in Western Wisconsin.

We welcome Citizen Action coop member Sarah Godlewski who is in the final stretch of her amazing campaign for State Treasurer. Sarah reminds us how important it is to vote all the way down the ballot on Tuesday, November 6th. We discuss the terrorist attack by a white nationalist in Pittsburgh and how the tragedy is a direct consequence of the hatred sewn by Donald Trump, and the Republican politics of division. We discuss the despicable new Trump ad vilifying immigrants, which some believe is even worse than the infamous Willie Horton ad. We review the new MU Law Poll and discuss the importance of getting involved in GOTV canvassing efforts the last 4 days of the election. Robert reviews a new Citizen Action report finding that allowing Wisconsinites to buy-into Badgercare as a “Public Option” would slash premiums and deductibles by as much as $24,000 for a family of four. The report also found the healthcare cost gap with Minnesota is widening.

This week Wisconsin is ground zero for the 2018 election with the visits of Presidents Trump and Obama. The panel discusses the effort by Trump and Wisconsin Republicans to inject immigration and other conservative issues into an election dominated by GOP failure on healthcare. We encourage listeners to vote early and volunteer on election day or work at a polling location. We close with a discussion of the State of New York’s lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, saying It deceived shareholders on climate change and the Supreme Court intervening in another climate change lawsuit.

We discuss how healthcare, particularly pre-existing conditions, remains the top issue in Wisconsin elections. The panel forecasts their top 3 agenda items for progressives in 2019 if Tony Evers wins the Governor election and Democrats gain control the State Senate. Gabriel Gomez, a Citizen Action co-op member and candidate for State Assembly District 21, joins us to discuss his campaign.

This week the panel is forced (yet again) to interpret the infamous Marquette University Law Poll, which now declares a dead heat in the Governor's race. We dig through the electoral and movement ramifications of the disturbing confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to a lifetime SCOTUS appointment. Will it energize right-wing voters in November? Will it build the strength of the #metoo movement? We take a deep dive into the bizarre U.S. Senate debate this week between Tammy Baldwin and Leah Vukmir. Did Vukmir really say that pre-existing condition discrimination never happened, and is a "big lie" propagated by progressives? Next we discuss the shocking new UN report on climate change that shows we must take drastic action much sooner to prevent a global genocide. We close with a great discussion with Citizen Action co-op member Tom Sieber, who is a dynamic progressive candidate for the State Assembly in Northeast Wisconsin.

We discuss the sham FBI investigation into the credible charges of sexual assault leveled against SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and predict the likely outcomes of the shameful Senate confirmation process and the electoral fallout from Donald Trump's latest degrading remarks. We also talk about the Fight for $15 movement’s victory this week at Amazon, and the strike in Milwaukee that resulted in 23 arrests outside a McDonald's. Robert reviews the week’s healthcare news, including Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's stubborn “No way” declaration on accepting federal Medicaid money and Leah Vukmir's extreme attacks on Medicare for All. Finally, we welcome Aaron Matteson, a Citizen Action Co-op member and candidate for Assembly District 22.

We discuss the shamefully rushed Brett Kavanaugh confirmation process that played out this week and what does it mean for the progress of gender equity in America? We then welcome Citizen Action co-op member and candidate for State Assembly candidate Chris Rahlf to discuss breaking news this week that her opponent, Rep Rob Brooks, made racist and sexually abusive comments to 3 female GOP state legislators. We welcome State Senate candidate Jeff Smith to discuss his campaign and fundraiser next Thursday, October 4th, at Big Head Brewing Co. in Wauwatosa. We close with Citizen Action co-op member Kris Lennon to tell us about a Fair Maps Town Hall on Saturday, October 6th, 12:45 pm in Wauwatosa.

Our panel analyzes the latest MU Law poll. We review how healthcare is becoming a dominant issue in the election, particularly Walker’s support for allowing discrimination against people with pre-existing health conditions. We also discuss the sleazy effort to divide the Bryce family by featuring Randy’s brother in an ugly negative ad that drew a heartfelt angry response from Randy’s mother. We welcome State Senator Chris Larson to discuss the huge opportunities for Democrats in the State Senate this November. Sen. Larson reviews all the important Senate races and promotes our important fundraiser on Thursday, October 4th for Citizen Action organizer Jeff Smith who is running for State State in the Eau Claire area in a must win race. Fundraiser is at Big Head Brewing Co., 6204 W. State St. Wauwatosa.

Scott Walker’s dive into the gutter has our attention this week. Not only did Walker try to blame Tony Evers for racial disparities in education, his latest TV ad erroneously claims that Evers plans to release rapists. murders, and kidnappers. Continuing the low lights from Wisconsin conservatives, we discuss a barely coded racial slur by the editor of Right Wisconsin, who called MPS students "little convicts." Next, we look at Trump’s role in creating the “blue wave” and his growing unpopularity in the Midwest and suburbs. Will Trump's tanking numbers play a major role in flipping legislative seats in Wisconsin? Finally, we have an update on Scott Walker and AG Brad Schimel's latest lawsuit to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.

With Labor Day in the rear view mirror the general election campaign is now in full gear. Our panel analyzes Scott Walker’s strategy of focusing on Evers’ handling of a teacher licensing case. We also discuss Tammy Baldwin's pledge to protect Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions and the huge amount of national money pouring into the state's Attorney General race. Rebecca updates us on WI Choice’s forum next week featuring Tony Evers and Mandela Barnes. In the second half of the show, we welcome Citizen Action Co-op members Julie Henszey and Emily Siegrist to discuss their important state legislative races.

Our panel dissects the new MU Law poll and the onslaught of new political TV ads (spoiler alert: the Governor's race is a toss up). We then welcome Citizen Action Co-op member and State Assembly 60th District candidate Chris Rahlf who is running a strong campaign in a long time Republican district. We discuss the opportunities for Democrats in rural and small town areas and encourage volunteers to join Chris and knock doors untouched for years. Southeastern Wisconsin NORML ED Eric Marsch joins us to update listeners on the marijuana referendums in Wisconsin and marijuana legalization polling at 61%!