Battleground Wisconsin

We welcome WEDC board member and State Senator Tim Carpenter to discuss the secrecy surrounding the Foxconn contract with WEDC, which is so extreme that board members are expected to vote without seeing the contract. Ahead of open enrollment sticker shock on November 1st, the panel reviews new Citizen Action research documenting that because of Scott Walker's sabotage Wisconsinites will pay thousands more on average for health insurance than Minnesotans in 2018. We also talk about the U.S. Senate's sudden repeal of a key financial regulation from the Dodd-Frank law, and the Koch Brothers' targeting of Sen. Tammy Baldwin with millions in misleading dark money attack ads. Robert reviews Wisconsin GOP infighting over the "T" word, and Anna Dvorak joins us to preview a Fair Maps town hall Saturday in Bay View.

This week the panel digs into Donald Trump and Scott Walker's reckless sneak attacks on health care, before turning to potentially explosive developments in the $3 billion Foxconn giveaway. We then discuss Scott Walker's soft announcement for re-election though a misleading video, the Governor's bizarre attempted intervention into the NFL national anthem protests, and finally Cory Mason's victory in the Racine Mayor's race.

This week we dig into Donald Trump's latest illegal attempt to sabotage ObamaCare, and a new initiative by Legislative Democrats to reign in price gouging by prescription drug corporations. We evaluatue a shocking move to expand charter schools in Wisconsin coming from a surprising source. We also bat around a bizarre statement by Scott Walker panning an industrial hemp bill being moved by GOP legislators, Trump's arrogant response to the climate disaster in Puerto Rico, the latest Foxconn follies, and the right wing attempt to punish cities which respect the basic human rights of immigrants.

We introduce the show's new panelist, Rebecca Lynch, the political director for Wisconsin Working Families Party. We welcome the director of the Fair Elections Project, Sachin Chheda, who attended the oral arguments this week at the Supreme Court for the historic gerrymandering case challenging Wisconsin’s legislative maps. The panel also discusses the economic dynamics that enable conservative efforts to lift the mining moratorium. We also talk about the conservative conspiracy to de-skill the teaching profession in Wisconsin and the latest scheme by Republicans in Congress to cut healthcare by gutting Medicare and Medicaid in the federal budget We also discuss the latest horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas and its implications for a functioning democracy.

We welcome Acción Ciudadana organizer Luz Sosa to discuss the disgusting and immoral abandonment by the Trump administration of Americans in Puerto Rico, Vieques and other U.S. territories following last week’s devastating (climate change induced) hurricane. Luz also tells us what members are doing to help. We review this week’s implosion of TrumpCare 3.0 and talk with Healthcare for All Organizing Cooperative member Christine Rahlf about how members organized against this week's threat and are preparing to fight against future repeal efforts. We also discuss Trump’s big dust up with NFL players and owners and what it says about the status of the First Amendment in conservative ideology.

The GOP health care zombie bill is back and worse than ever! We discuss the latest conservative effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act and welcome Healthcare for All cooperative organizer Katie Dunn to discuss next Monday’s 1:30pm rally in opposition to the GOP repeal plan at Sen. Ron Johnson’s Milwaukee office. We also welcome cooperative organizers, Jeff Smith and Joel Lewis, to discuss the Western and North Central Wisconsin Organizing Cooperatives, including member-led organizing on health care, CAFOs and green energy jobs.

We discuss Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s support for new Medicare for All legislation introduced this week in the U.S, Senate. Baldwin's forward looking vision is in sharp contrast with Sen. Ron Johnson and his conservative colleagues who introduced yet another effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The panel talks about the long delayed special interest laden state budget that passed the assembly on Tuesday and now heads to the Senate for final rubber stamping. We also review the latest on Foxconn, including Kenosha’s clear minded decision to pass on the boondoggle. Finally we discuss the change in leadership among Assembly Democrats and Paul Ryan’s confession over the debt consequences of his own tax plan.

As Hurricane Irma rampages toward Florida, we discuss the political implications of Hurricanes and other human-made climate disasters. The panel considers the latest Foxconn news, including a likely vote in the senate next week, and a new amendment that sends lawsuits directly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The GOP continues to wrangle over the state budget. Accion Ciudadana organizer Luz Sosa joins us to discuss Trump’s attack on young immigrants with the termination of DACA, and Anna Dvorak tells us about the movement for Fair Election Maps

Happy Labor Day Weekend Wisconsin! Our panel discusses the vital role labor unions play in creating democratic workplaces, real economic opportunity, and access to the middle class. We reflect on the devastation in Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and the role climate change and bad public policy played in it’s creation. Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters (WLCV) organizer Matt Dannenberg educates us on the mining industry’s latest push to roll back Wisconsin’s mining moratorium which protects our water and environment. Robert previews the next health care fight this fall in the federal budget and Jorna tells us about Congressman Grothman’s demand for other federal budget cuts to pay for Hurricane Harvey relief.

We take a sneak peak at the developing 2018 governor's race. We discuss how issues like the Foxconn giveaway will shape the political environment and test candidates. Robert updates us on on the growing public opposition to the Foxconn deal, including 3 news events held by Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative in Eau Claire, Wausau, and Appleton. Jorna reviews Paul Ryan’s fake town hall with CNN that was not open to the public. Also, GOP Sen. Tom Tiffany is threatening Wisconsin’s mining moratorium and Citizen Action is hosting a forum featuring 2018 Supreme Court candidates Rebecca Dallet and Tim Burns in Milwaukee on Thursday, September 14th @ 6pm.

We welcome one of the legislative champions in the fight to stop the Foxconn heist, State Representative Amanda Stuck. Stuck's courage to speak out during the Assembly committee hearing on Foxconn helped spark a public groundswell against Scott Walker's disastrous plan for corporate welfare on an unprecedented scale. Call your State Senator today at 1-800-362-9472. We also discuss the murderous rally of Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville. Citizen Action organizer Davette Baker joins us to reflect on last weekend’s events, and to urge all progressives to take a stand against white supremacy and racism.

We do a deep dive into the environmental trap that will be set if Scott Walker's Foxconn swindle is approved. We welcome Kerry Schumann, executive director of the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters and Raj Shukla, executive director of The River Alliance of Wisconsin, to discuss the gutting of environmental standards for the benefit of one multinational corporation. We also look at the developing split between the Assembly and Senate on Foxconn and how this issue will impact the Democratic candidates for governor. Jorna exposes Sen. Ron Johnson’s ridiculous comments about John McCain’s vote to kill TrumpCare in the Senate and we look forward to our “BadgerCare for all” campaign to expand access to affordable healthcare in Wisconsin.

We welcome state representative Jonathan Brostoff to talk about his early opposition to the $3 billion plus Foxconn plan that is currently being rushed through the Assembly. We analyze the political dynamic that will likely result from a number of Democrats supporting the Foxconn deal and what investments progressive champions should support to create real economic opportunity throughout the state. Robert discusses the collapse of the GOP Senate health care repeal, Trump’s sabotage, and what’s next in the healthcare fight. We close the show with Jorna educating us on the viscous Trump effort to restrict immigration.

We dive into the slim details surrounding Trump and Walker’s $3 billion bribe to Foxconn to build a display panel plant in Wisconsin that could employ 3,000 - 13,000 workers (if you believe Foxconn). We review the latest on Senate GOP’s bizarre legislative effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act through a so-called “skinny” repeal. We are joined by Healthcare For All Organizing Cooperative member Joan Hanson to talk about the co-op's long term organizing plan for universal healthcare. Jorna helps explain why Trump wants to ban transgendered Americans from serving in the military. We close the show with Matthew Rothschild, executive director of the the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, who reviews new WDC research showing that between January 2010 and December 2016, mostly out-of-state school voucher interests doled out about $8.5 million in direct campaign contributions and outside election spending in legislative and statewide races – nearly all of it to support Republican candidates.

We discuss whether the health care repeal crisis or the Russian scandal are diverting too much attention from other Trumpian threats and dig deeper into the next steps in the health care fight. Anna Dvorak, organizer for the Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative, joins the panel to update listeners on the movement for fair elections that is sweeping the state. Mike Crute, of the Devil's Advocates and the owner of a new progressive radio station in Milwaukee, joins us to discuss the shady and undemocratic effort by mega station 620 AM WTMJ in Milwaukee to prevent Resistance Radio 1510 AM from getting an FM station signal to allow 24 hour programming.

Much like Dr. Suess’ Zaxs, GOP leaders who control all levers of power in DC & Madison are puffing their chests up with pride but failing to repeal health care or approve a state budget. We discuss the Senate healthcare bill 2.0 that GOP leaders are hoping to pass next week without the CBO score they promised. The panel reviews the GOP stalemate in Madison over the state budget and explores the opportunity it presents progressive leaders to articulate a compelling vision ahead of 2018 elections. We also take a sneak peek at the electoral opportunity Paul Ryan’s failed Speaker-ship is presenting Democrats, and the Congressional town hall we held without Ryan in his own district with another Congressman.

This week Robert Kraig and special guest State Senator Chris Larson discuss the health care impasse in Washington and the innovative state bill announced this week by Legislative Democracts to open BadgerCare to everyone in Wisconsin as a public option. They also discuss the bizarre Republican maneuver in the State Assembly on a bill to outlaw health insurance lifetime and annual limits. Does it show that health care be a big electoral issue for progressives? Then we dig into the state budget impasse, and the reasons why the conservatives who dominate Wisconsin government seem unable to govern. Finally we speculate on the rumor about the infamous sweat shop company that makes iphones coming to Wisconsin. What kind of deal is Trump, Walker, and Robin Vos trying to cut and will it benefit Wisconsin workers?

We review the failed Senate Republican effort this week to hold a vote on their draconian healthcare bill. President Trump was optimistic saying, “healthcare is working along very well. We could have a big surprise with a great healthcare package... A great, great surprise.” Jorna highlights Sen. Johnson’s disturbing comment comparing people with preexisting conditions to someone who has crashed their car and wants to buy auto insurance. We welcome Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative members, Lindsay Dorff (Green Bay) and Hans Breitenmoser (Merrill), to discuss their leadership in organizing citizen support for fair election maps and end to our current gerrymandered districts. Jeff Smith, organizer for the Western Wisconsin Organizing Cooperative, joins us to talk about their fight against Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs.) We also look at the new Marquette Poll which appears on the surface to show Gov. Walker gaining in popularity.

We discuss the long-awaited, secretive Senate healthcare bill that includes larger cuts to Medicaid but differs little from the “mean” House bill that cuts healthcare from million Americans to provide a large tax break to the wealthy. State Rep. Eric Genrich joins us to talk about his visionary legislation to provide BadgerCare for all through a public option. We welcome Sachin Chheda, director of the Fair elections Project, to update us on the legal developments this week in the historic gerrymandering case the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear this fall. We also review new developments on Republican efforts to restrict free speech at the UW System and how Gov. Walker’s plan to drug test Medicaid recipients received over 1000 public comments in opposition while only 5 comments in support.

We discuss the secrecy surrounding the Senate healthcare legislation and President Trump’s shockingly unkind words about the health care plan he forced Paul Ryan to jam through the House of Representatives.” Robert reveals interesting details of meeting between Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative members and Sen. Ron Johnson’s legislative aide regarding the difficulty Republicans face in passing a healthcare bill. We welcome Matthew Rothschild, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, to discuss the the Assembly passage of a bill that could spark a constitutional convention and the dangers it poses our democracy. We close the show with a discussion of innovative approaches to creating good jobs and economic opportunity in Los Angeles with Roxana Tynan, the executive director of LAANE (Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy).