Battleground Wisconsin

This week we dig into the federal and state budget battles, and the question of a 3rd term for Governor Tony Evers, with special guests Dan Shafer of the Recombobulation Area and Civic Media, and Steven Webb from Planned Parenthood. We open with a discussion of the critical importance of Juneteenth this year, as DEI is under attack by the Trump Administration, and some cities and businesses pull back from supporting local celebrations. Robert provides a simple explanation of how the new U.S. Senate budget bill is even worse on Medicaid than the House budget bill, and it particularly damages rural hospitals. We update listeners on the latest State Budget news, including Speaker Vos' continuing crusade to force Governor Evers' hand with slashing cuts to UW System funding. The plot thickens because Senate Republicans can't pass a budget without UW cuts or they will lose the most right-wing members of their caucus, Senators Kapanga & Nass. In addition, to serious tactical disagreements with the governor on how to win his state budget priorities the public supports by huge margins, like properly funding public schools, expanding BadgerCare, funding child care and closing Green Bay, their is now a serious discussion about whether it is time for Governor Evers to lead by a timely passing of the torch to the next generation of Democratic leaders and not running for Governor in 2026. We welcome award winning Milwaukee area journalist, Dan Shafer, founder of The Recombobulation Area and now part of the Civic Media network, who makes the case that it's time to pass the Torch and Tony Evers should not run for a third term as governor. He argues Wisconsin's governor needs to do what so many other Democrats have failed to do and step aside when the time is right. We close the show with Citizen Action board member, Steven Webb, who is the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, to discuss the devastating cuts to healthcare in the federal Budget bills that will damage Planned Parenthood's ability to provide vital frontline healthcare to Wisconsinites. Steve tells us how you can also get involved in organizing with PPAWI to fight back.

As the State Legislature's Joint Finance Committee takes up public education funding, education advocates call for the veto of any budget from the Legislature that does not adequately fund education. Will the Governor listen to his grassroots base, and fight for a budget that meets Wisconsin's needs, or sign a partisan budget that shortchanges the people of Wisconsin? We encourage listeners to stop by our table at the Wisconsin Democratic Party convention this weekend and pick up a sticker supporting a veto. We invite our listeners to volunteer for a Day of Action Phone Bank next Tuesday, June 17th, 5pm. We will be calling Democratic voters and encouraging them to be transferred to the Governor's office to leave a message for him. We discuss other upcoming action and events in support winning key priorities in the state budget. Tammy Baldwin rightly meets with Milwaukee parents and calls out RFK Jr for falsely claiming a federal team in Milwaukee helping with lead problem in schools, when that team was laid off. We review 2 more well attended “Hands Off Medicaid” Town Hall in Rice Lake and St. Croix Falls. We close with a deeper dive into the current authoritarian moment Trump's show of military force in LA to suppress largely peaceful protests reveals. We encourage attendance at the peaceful mobilization Saturday at No Kings Events, including 50 in Wisconsin.

We take a deep dive into the huge breaking news that Speaker Robin Vos and Republican leaders walked away from state budget negotiations with Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday. Ratcheting up the battle, Republicans taunted the Governor by predicting he would sign a partisan budget that under funds his priorities. We talk about how this decision provides a new opportunity for Evers to re-engage the public about what is at stake in the budget battle and how their engagement in the fight is critical to winning on key public priorities. We and our allies continue to encourage people to call Governor Evers (1-608-266-1212) and urge him to veto any state budget that fails to meet key public priorities: properly funded public schools, expand BadgerCare, fund child care, and no new prisons. Contact your State Legislators today and tell them to reject any state budget that fails to meet these minimum standards. We review a new UW-Extension study finding rising housing costs are prompting many to forgo or delay medical care, and we discuss the significant implications of these findings. We close with an update on the federal budget battle where Senator Ron Johnson has positioned himself on center stage in the developing budget drama. Johnson, who recently called Medicaid recipients “grifters,” publicly opposes the House budget because it does not cut enough from Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical public programs.

We debrief the historic Capitol Day of Action this Tuesday which called on the Governor to veto any budget that does not meet basic standards. It was organized by Citizen Action Wisconsin in partnership with Wisconsin Public Education Network, and WISDOM; and co-sponsored by: Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), AFT-Wisconsin, WECAN, Progress North, Madison Teachers Inc, Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, Green Bay Education Association, Kenosha Education Association, Racine Education Association, and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. 200 citizen-lobbyists met with their legislators, attended a media event with all the partner organizations, who then marched to Governor Tony Evers' office with a jointly signed letter encouraging the Governor to veto any budget from the Legislature that fails to properly fund public schools, expand BadgerCare, fund childcare, and close Green Bay Correctional and builds no new prisons. We review multi-millionaire Ron Johnson's abandonment of Wisconsin's working families by demanding even deeper cuts to Medicaid and food assistance to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. In addition, this week Johnson declared that Milwaukee Public Schools should get no help from the federal government for cleaning up lead that is poisoning our children. Johnson also rejected science and life-saving measles vaccine requirements for children. Derrick Van Orden emerged again from his bunker and started lying about his broken promise not to cut Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office is clear that 13.6 million Americans will lose health coverage due to cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in the House Budget Bill, with 11,000 in Van Orden's district losing Medicaid because of his vote. We encourage listeners to call or visit his office and remind him he broke his promise to voters and now he is lying. We welcome the President of SEIU Wisconsin Healthcare, Pat Raes, to discuss the historic 5 day strike at Meriter Hospital in Madison launched by nurses this week. Pat is a 35 year veteran of the hospital and tells us about why they are striking and how you can support their effort to protect the safety of their patients by fighting the corporatization of healthcare which puts profits over care.

We welcome Citizen Action member and child care provider Julia Bennker back to the show to discuss this week's “strike” and actions at the Capitol by child care providers demanding the Legislature restore $480 million in funding. We hear first hand how the Legislature is failing parents and child care workers and how you can support the effort to fund child care in the state budget. Big news this week in Congress as House Republicans unveiled their budget which drastically cuts Medicaid to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. Robert gives us the details on how the GOP's plan will take healthcare away coverage from nearly 14 million Americans, according to the Congressional Budget Office. As we reported last week, the House Republican budget will not cut direct state matching funds such as the increased match for ACA Medicaid Expansion, allowing Wisconsin to finally accept the federal money to Expand BadgerCare. Even more, we now know the House budget also sunsets an extra 5% state match for states that Expand Medicaid before January 1, 2026. This means Wisconsin only gets the bonus match (which lasts two years) if it expands Medicaid in this new budget, making it an imperative that Evers veto any Legislative budget that fails to Expand BadgerCare. Robert also updates us on the latest in the Judge Hannah Dugan case which raises serious issues critical to retaining a constitutional democracy.

We discuss breaking news in the fight to save Medicaid this week as House Speaker Mike Johnson rules out cutting the federal match to states for Medicaid Expansion states. This is huge for Governor Tony Evers' plan to accept federal money to expand BadgerCare in the state budget. We renew our call for the Governor to publicly declare that he will veto any state budget that fails to expand BadgerCare. Despite the victory in Congress for Medicaid Expansion, Speaker Vos and Republicans in the Joint Finance Committee deleted expanding BadgerCare from their state budget Thursday afternoon. It's time for the Governor to fight for his budget. We urge our listeners to call Governor Tony Evers at 1 (608) 266-1212 and urge him to use his most powerful in the nation veto and publicly declare that he will veto any state budget from the Legislature that does not include proper funding for our public schools and BadgerCare expansion. Citizen Action member and child care provider, Julia Bennker, joins us to discuss the Joint Finance Committee's disastrous decision to remove child care funding from their state budget. Julia tells us about how child care providers are organizing a strike that will start Tuesday. Listen to the show. Read Citizen Action's statement on the removal of BadgerCare Expansion from Legislative Republican's State Budget. Citizen Action calls on Governor Tony Evers to use veto powers to leverage BadgerCare Expansion. Attend a “Hands off Medicaid” Town Hall this week. Learn about what's at stake for all of us, hear from our neighbors who are directly at risk, and talk about what we're doing to fight back and how you can get involved. Questions? Contact: Timothy.Faust@citizenactionwi.org RSVP for Milwaukee Join us for an upcoming “Hands Off Medicaid” Town Hall, Tuesday, May 13th, 6pm. Sign up for Citizen Action's Capitol Lobby day, Tuesday, May 27th

At the top we celebrate the decades of permanent community organizing of Voces de la Frontera that makes May Day so powerful in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. This annual celebration of multiracial democracy has helped prepare us to meet the moment in these times of Trump. Next, we update the latest in the fight to protect Medicaid from slashing cuts to pay for tax giveaways to the rich, including a new report demonstrating how cuts to Medicaid would harm patients and increase health costs in Wisconsin. Robert gives a report on this week's final JFC public hearings on the state budget and we preview the next steps in the process. We continue to encourage Governor Evers to use his powerful veto to win concessions on properly funding public schools and expanding Medicaid. We hope many of our listeners will join our upcoming Capitol Lobby Day, May 27th to support our state budget organizing. Robert closes with a run down of this week' worst Trump fallout, including: Wisconsin joining a lawsuit on Trump's unilateral cancellation of Americorps; the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan and its aftermath, putting Wisconsin at center of immigration fight.

Robert Kraig begins the program with observations on Donald Trump's assault on democratic institutions . Some major institutions, such as elite universities, major law firms, and corporate media companies, have tried to cut deals while others have stood their ground. Those that have capitulated have found that giving in only results in more outrageous demands. On the Battleground Wisconsin Podcast this week our theme is the moral imperative to stand and fight at both the national and state level. First, Robert interviews Heather DuBois Bourenane, Executive Director of Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) to discuss the battle for education funding in the state budget. In their discussion, Heather and Robert conclude that the only way to get sufficient school funding and to win BadgerCare Expansion is for Governor Evers to use his veto power to stand and fight. Next, Robert interviews Citizen Action Healthcare Action Coordinator Timothy Faust on the battles for postpartum care, BadgerCare Expansion, and proposed massive cuts to Medicaid to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.

The boss of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce (MMAC) says 99% of business leaders are “afraid to speak out” against Trump. We discuss why these big business cowards take no responsibility for the neo fascist political party they have supported and financed for their own benefit. While the corporate elites cower, a Federal judge blocked the deportation of UW-Madison engineering students, one of the first victories against mass deportation of international students. The Milwaukee County Board moved to safeguard due process rights after the ICE arrest at Milwaukee County Courthouse. But one conservative County Supervisors abstains, fearing reprisals from the Trump regime. As utility shutoff season commences in Wisconsin, we discuss the increasing concern about the future of home energy assistance, which had been disseminated by DOGE, and is so complicated only a third of those eligible in Wisconsin enroll. We preview state legislation being drafted to enact a 2% of income cap utility bills which will be far more effective in reducing the energy burden on hard pressed households. We welcome State Representative Christian Phelps to discuss shameful Republican state legislation that would add many new hoops to jump through to qualify for Medicaid, forcing many to go without critical health care and long term care. The public reaction to this destructive bill prompted Republicans to put it on hold for the time being, yet another sign that the backlash against proposed national cuts to Medicaid to fund tax giveaways for the rich and the failure to enact BadgerCare Expansion are becoming third rails for the MAGA GOP.

We welcome back to the show Tobita Chow to discuss how Trump's 125%+ tariff on China fits into the escalating spiral of dangerous conflict between the United States and China. We review the main currents of thought within the current administration and potential outcomes. Is Trump setting up an inevitable military conflict with China? Robert reviews the top Trump impacts on Wisconsin this week, including revoking student visas for over two dozen UW Students for no stated reason; Executive Order targeting state renewable energy initiatives; and the Impact of Trump's deportation frenzy in Wisconsin, including the state of fear among Wisconsin dairy workers, and the revocation of legal status for Haitian refugees who have become an important part of the community in New London. We close with Marquette University Theology professor, Chris Gooding, who is a member of the academic staff's union organizing committee. Marquette continues to refuse to recognize the faculty union. The members are planning a protest of their new anti-union president on Monday, April 28th, 10 am in front of the Al Center on the university's campus.

Why does Senator Cory Booker's filibuster this week matter and how is it connected to the Wisconsin election this Tuesday? We take a deep dive in the epic State Supreme Court election that saw a landslide win for Citizen Action endorsed Susan Crawford. The victory was essential to the future of the state with the balance of the court at stake. However, we discuss our concern with the current playbook that clearly can deliver progressive court candidate victories, but with high spending shit shows where virtually all paid communication is trashy crime and sexual predator ads that debase and erode the credibility of the court, a vital pillar of our democracy. And what about Elon? We review the first Joint Finance Committee public hearing on the State Budget this Wednesday and heads to West Allis' State Fair Park this Friday. At the hearing, support for funding Medicaid and increasing public education dollars dominated public testimony. We welcome Milwaukee County Supervisor Anne O'Connor to discuss her support for the Milwaukee County Climate Action Plan which is up for a vote in April and her opposition to the proposed We Energies gas plants that are at odds with the County's Climate plan goals.

It's time to get out the vote in Wisconsin for the Spring Election. We review news that the state supreme court race will shatter all spending records for the prized judicial seat that will determine control of the state' highest court. We discuss the critical importance of talking directly to potential voters the final 4 days and encourage our listeners to volunteer with Citizen Action on phones or doors. RSVP to talk to voters. Next week is the start of the Joint Finance Committee public hearings on the State Budget, next Wednesday in Kaukauna and Friday in West Allis. We encourage people in each area to consider attending in support of expanding BadgerCare and other state budget priorities. We welcome back to the show, Timothy Faust, Citizen Action's healthcare coordinator, who just returned from a week-long tour of rural Wisconsin hosting Hands Off Medicaid Town Halls to organize opposition to Congressional Republicans proposed cuts to Medicaid. Contact Tim: Timothy.Faust@citizenactionwi.org We close the show with a review of this week's PSC public hearing on We Energies desire to build polluting gas plants. Robert educates us on why the gas plant is a bad idea.

Can Congress get away with taking away health care from millions to fund huge tax cuts for the rich? We preview Medicaid Town Halls in Wausau, La Crosse and Eau Claire that will help organize resistance to proposed slashing cuts to Medicaid. Meanwhile, Rep. Van Orden continued to hunker down in his basement bunker, holding a virtual town hall where he can avoid answering tough questions after misleading his own constituents about Medicaid cuts he rubber stamped in Congress. We cannot win by surrendering in advance. We continue to encourage Governor Evers to veto any budget the Legislature produces that fails to expand BadgerCare. The Spring Election is around the corner and Brad Schimel rehashes voter fraud conspiracies about Milwaukee that he knows are false. So much for his phony stance as a high minded judge above politics. This week the only debate in the State Superintendent of DPI election was held by WPEN and other allies. This race remains about Jill Underly's dedicated support for improving and properly funding our public schools vs. her opponent who is a supporter of siphoning even more money to private unaccountable voucher schools. Robert educates us on a legal case against Greenpeace who was found liable for $645 million for Dakota Access Pipeline protests that has huge implications for the Constitutional right of free speech and protest. Will this be the beginning of a legal strategy to bankrupt progressive nonprofits to silence free speech and assembly? We close with a soul-searching discussion with James Causey, a longtime columnist with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, on adults forcing police officers back into Milwaukee Public Schools without ever listening to the kids.

Wisconsin Republican members of Congress are running scared from Medicaid cuts and the cowards are starting to do virtual town halls from bunkers, ducking open face-to-face dialogue with their own constituents. So much for the House of Representatives as the government closest to the people. Meanwhile House Republicans left Washington with no budget deal for a St. Patrick's Day vacation (we didn't know that was a thing), likely forcing a partial government shutdown Friday. Senate Democrats do the right thing and do not allow House Republicans to extort them into signing off on a bad deal which will give Trump and Musk a free hand to continue their unconstitutional assault on the civil service. As we are hurtling towards the critical April1st Supreme Court and Superintendent of Public Instruction elections, Crawford and Schimel debate. Was anyone listening? We welcome Citizen Action Organizer Kristie Tweed to clue us in on upcoming Medicaid Town Halls in La Crosse, Wausau, and Eau Claire later this month. Also, Citizen Action Climate Coordinator Kat Klawes joins us to discuss the path-breaking Climate Accountability Act and how you can get involved with our organizing. We also review the terrifying Mahmoud Khalil case, which reminds us of Red Scares and other dark moments in American history when civil rights were shredded.

This week Citizen Action hosted a major news conference at the State Capitol with Legislative allies and Citizen Action members from around the state to unveil the Climate Accountability Act. The bill, which is already rapidly winning co-sponsors, requires the Legislature to pass a concrete and enforceable plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Following the media event, Citizen Action members fanned out across the Capitol to visit their Representatives and State Senators and discuss state budget priorities, like expanding BadgerCare. We unpack the latest MU Law Poll which shows a clear pathway for key priorities in Governor Evers' state budget, if he is willing to use his stronger public popularity against a very unpopular Republican Legislature. We review the lessons learned from the first two weeks of phone calls at Citizen Action talking directly to Spring Election voters. We also discuss the most important developments in Donald Trump”s assault on the constitutional order, including a critical 5-4 Supreme Court ruling this week that sided against President Trump over $2B in frozen foreign aid and his unhinged prime time address to a joint session of Congress.

This week the plundering of Medicaid commenced, as Trump, Musk, and their dutiful Republican Party “leaders” in Congress and the Wisconsin Legislature started their assault – all to fund more outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy. Citizen Action Healthcare Action Coordinator Timothy Faust joins us to give us the details on what passed in Congress this week, how it is just the beginning of the fight, and how we are going on the offensive. Not wanting to be outdone by Trump, Boss Vos declared this week that BadgerCare expansion won't happen under his iron fisted domination of the Assembly GOP Caucus. We renew our call for the Governor to wield his powerful threat of a budget veto of any Legislative state budget that fails to expand BadgerCare. In addition to the threat to health care, we made big news this week on the climate front. We discuss the news event in Milwaukee this week unveiling new state legislation to require the Legislature to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. The bill is gaining momentum and co-sponsors. We talk about why the legislation is critically important.

We review the Spring Primary victory by Jill Underly in the State Superintendent of Public Instruction election and the real challenge to public education that is posed by the well-funded voucher advocate who also advanced to the April 1st General Election. Both the DPI and Supreme Court elections will be won by talking directly to voters throughout the state on phones, doors, and one-on one conversations. We urge you to sign up and volunteer with Citizen Action to make calls from home in support of Susan Crawford and Jill Underly in our weekly phone bank starting next Tuesday, February 25th at 5pm RSVP HERE The state budget battle commenced this week with Governor Tony Evers releasing his budget. We review some highlights, including BadgerCare expansion, Prescription Drug affordability Board, and a sweeping set of new regulations on health insurance abuses, including a first in the nation audit of claims denials. This Tuesday, Citizen Action joined Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) and WISDOM in calling for the Governor to leverage his potent constitutional power to veto any state budget produced by the Legislature that fails to finally secure BadgerCare Expansion, include sufficient funding for K-12 public schools, or lacks reforms needed for Wisconsin's troubled corrections system. We urge you to contact Governor Tony Evers and tell him to fight for his top budget priorities by threatening veto of any budget that fails the public on these key public priorities and others that the governor also deems essential. We encourage listeners to RSVP for our Capitol State Budget Lobby Day on Tuesday March 4th. We close reviewing the week 5 of the Trump assault on the republic, including mounting bipartisan opposition to House Republican leadership's plan announced this week to gut Medicaid funding to fund a massive tax cut for the wealthy. UW Madison's research is threatened by NIH funding cuts and we expose the fake energy emergency Trump has declared to ram through an expansion of Wisconsin fossil fuel projects.

We announce Citizen Action's endorsement of Jill Underly's re-election as Superintendent of Public Instruction. There is a primary election next Tuesday, February 18th. Please make sure you vote. Next Tuesday evening Governor Tony Evers will give his budget address speech commencing the legislative portion of the state budget process which will play out over the next few months. We preview our call for Governor Evers to veto any state budget that doesn't include better public school funding, accepting the federal Medicaid money for BadgerCare. He should also veto any budget that builds new state prisons. We are partnering with Wisconsin Public Education Network and WISDOM in this organizing campaign and urge all our listeners to call Governor Evers office next week and urge him to fight for these public priorities. As we head into a critical State Supreme Court election, Justice Janet Protasiewicz announces she will not recuse herself in the upcoming Act 10 case. We comment on the “Our billionaire is better than your billionaire” election funding of our major elections. We note the overwhelming bi-partisan support in a state Senate Committee this week for an expansion of Medicaid Postpartum Care, which Speaker Robin Vos continues to block. We urge our listeners to call their state representatives and urge them to push for a vote. We close with the many low lights of the 4th week of Trump Regime 2.0, including more clarity on Trump and the Congressional Republicans' plans to gut federal Medicaid funding, denying healthcare for millions of Americans.

In the 3rd week of the Trump Regime the pace of disruption continues to intensify with escalating attacks on the Constitutional order and the President's outrageous ethnic cleansing proposal for Gaza. As the liberal resistance to authoritarianism begins to build, Robert prepares us for the pivotal federal budget fight where tax cuts for the wealthy will result in massive cuts to Medicaid. Given that 20% of all Americans and 50% of Children get their healthcare through Medicaid, this is a winnable fight if we mobilize for a large-scale campaign. In Wisconsin we are preparing for the Governor's state budget release in mid February, and the Legislative stage of the budget process. Citizen Action will host an upcoming Capitol Lobby Day on March 4th. We also preview new legislation requiring the Legislature to pass a concrete and enforceable plan to meet the global targets necessary to avert runaway climate change. Finally, we have an in-depth conversation with Citizen Action organizer Jeremy Gragert and child care provider Julia Bennker to discuss the vital importance of ongoing organizing to increase funding for child care in the state budget.

We continue to highlight that Boss Vos is blocking bi-partisan health care for children and mothers for the first year of the child's life and is creating a wedge among Republican Legislators. Is this a foot in the door to more legislative independence from the powerful “boss” of the Assembly? We think it is an important fight that must be won or there will be more futility in the upcoming state budget and next legislative session despite new maps. We urge our listeners to call their state representatives immediately, especially Republicans. We preview the upcoming state budget battle on public education funding by revealing new data finding Wisconsin again has the widest disparity in US between Black and White reading scores following over a decade of state budgets failing to properly fund public schools, including the last state budget that gave away a historic increase to failed voucher schools. We encourage our listeners to sign up for an upcoming Citizen Acton lobby day at the state Capitol on March 4th. We highlight the mainstream media taking the bait on a fake Susan Crawford scandal hook, line, and sinker, with Wisconsin Public Radio's awful headline leading the pack of poor coverage. We encourage our listeners to attend our An Evening with Susan Crawford, February 13th, 6pm and hear directly from the candidate. We review and try to provide context to Trump's continued chaos this week, including ramping up ICE raids, Trump's flagrantly illegal order to freeze all in-direct federal social spending causes confusion and pain. We discuss our appreciation for the leadership many state and local leaders have shown standing up to Trump actions during the first couple of weeks, including Wisconsin Democrats proposing legislation to forbid state and local officials from cooperating with mass deportation. The leadership of state and local progressives will be vital to continue making progress on the issues and values we care about as the federal government descends into dysfunction on these critical priorities.

Welcome to Trump's America. We review the first 72 hours of manic action by the Trump Regime. We commend the moral courage of the pastor that stood up to Trump on behalf of the most vulnerable among us: “was anyone going to say anything.” Trump illegally impounds IRA and IIJA money, causing massive confusion. Meanwhile popular and essential healthcare and green infrastructure projects are put on the chopping block to fund massive new tax cuts for billionaires and the most profitable corporations. However, time remains for public response to popular issues to make a difference. We discuss Governor Tony Evers' State of the State speech on Wednesday evening, highlighting key priorities including; increased investments in K-12/tech colleges and universities, state funding to fill in expiring federal child care funding; new climate jobs and apprenticeships; and reigning in prescription drug costs. But while the Governor signaled support for many key priorities, what does it mean that he started the speech praising a decade and a half of Republican initiated tax cuts? Will the Governor raise the revenue needed to sustainably fund public schools, child care, health care, shared revenue, and the many other underfunded state priorities? We close highlighting Boss Robin Vos' effort to kill a bi-partisan Medicaid deal to expand access to healthcare for postpartum moms and their infants! We encourage our listeners to contact their state legislators to support the bi-partisan deal. Contact your legislators today.

We announce Citizen Action of Wisconsin's endorsement of State Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford. Robert discusses the stakes of the race for Wisconsin, the difficulty for voters in assessing Supreme Court candidates, and the way ad campaigns degrade public understanding and democratic decision making. Robert debriefs Biden's historically significant farewell address, which includes stark warning about the rising oligarchy and climate crisis. We also review the accomplishments of the Biden Administration as we hurdle towards a dangerous period in American history, Meanwhile, Senator Ron Johnson embarrassed himself on NPR, denying climate change and calling for conditioning California disaster relief to environmentally unhinged MAGA demands. Wisconsin breaks ACA enrollment record, as a new report says 1/3 of rural children depend on Medicaid for healthcare and warns Medicaid cuts planned by MAGA Republicans for fund massive new tax cuts for billionaires would harm the communities they claim to represent. Finally, we discuss the loss of a true Wisconsin legend, Bob Uecker, who was the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers for over half a century, and became a national celebrity.

We open reflecting on the horrific climate generated fires burning in Los Angeles as we record the show. The scale of the fires is unprecedented, yet they are already being politicized by Donald Trump as families are being evacuated, a likely preview of future presidential efforts to divide us when we need unity to make it through such horror and pain. In Wisconsin, we can see how the AI revolution is threatening the climate. Microsoft Data Center will be Wisconsin's largest energy user, consuming more energy than all the houses and apartments in Milwaukee combined. Can we do this, and a second data center in Port Washington, and meet the climate emergency? We review the latest massive health system merger in Wisconsin that will surely continue to drive up healthcare costs. The state budget battle has begun. This week Speaker Vos took a shot at reasserting total control of the Legislature and the budget process, as he has for the last three state budgets. Vos threatened to do nothing to increase public school funding if he didn't first get massive tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations. Will the Governor or other state legislators stand up to Vos' threats? We preview the 2025 Spring election as nomination papers are submitted and a new Voter ID constitutional amendment passes the Senate and heads to the Assembly for certain placement on the the April 2025 ballot We close by highlighting the great work of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB), which finalized a new rule so Medical debt will no longer appear on credit reports for all Americans. The effort was part of a broader final push on anti-trust by the Biden Administration.

Welcome back! We head into 2025 with our eyes wide open and ready to organize for the future Wisconsin communities need. We begin with a discussion of the tragic violence in New Orleans on New Years Eve. Robert offers some insights on MU pollster Charles Franklin and former MJS journalist Craig Gilbert's discussion on polling lessons from the 2024 election. Will Wisconsin remain the ultimate battleground state? We remind our listeners of some important 2025 Spring Elections. Candidate nomination papers are due on January 7th. We preview the potential political and organizing opportunities in early 2025. On the federal level, what will become of Speaker Johnson and what the turmoil in the House around his pending Speakership tells us about the House and organizing opportunities for the progressive movement. What should we expect in Trump's first 24 hours? On the state level, we lay out critical state budget opportunities for progressives on public education and health and child care. Robert highlights a new report demonstrating that climate change is warming Wisconsin winters. The report found more days above freezing in the last decade, which creates a ripple effect throughout Wisconsin. Also, how is conference realignment in college sports damaging the climate?

We open with a discussion of the latest horrific school shooting, this time, it's in our backyard. We also discuss the significance of the latest Enbridge oil pipeline spill, Attorney General Josh Kaul announces a $1.7 million settlement with a sleazy Milwaukee landlord, and we preview next year's state budget fight. We welcome Danny Akenson, a field organizer with GROWW to hear more about their community organizing in Western Wisconsin and their recent victory against corporate farms (CAFOs).

We start with discussion of the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealth. We talk about at the immediate public response, connect to the unaddressed healthcare crisis, and the proliferation of guns in America. In Wisconsin, we focus on the upcoming state budget battle and how Gov. Tony Evers has real power in the budget because it is the only bill that Republicans and the governor have to agree on, pass and sign in the next two years. We talk about the new opportunities that exist with 37 new state legislators and closer partisan margins in both the Senate and Assembly. We are joined by Citizen Action member Jill Sexter from Wausau who organized a candlelight vigil outside of Wausau City Council to bring awareness to the fact that an unhoused man, Garrick Dixon, who tragically died in one of Wausau's parks due to exposure last month. We close by highlighting the excellent and successful community organizing in western Wisconsin by Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW) that led to a huge win in Pierce County resulting in restrictions on large corporate farms in The town of Maiden Rock, Wisconsin.

As we prepare for Trump 2.0 Robert and Matt project some of the most important federal and Wisconsin battles of early 2025. From collective bargaining rights to health care to climate change, there will be a number of pivotal battles that we can win if enough good progressives get off the sidelines and get directlly involved. Plus, what are the implications of the big Act 10 court decision? And what is going on with the seeming division between WEAC and the Wisconsin Democratic Party in the Department of Public Instruction race?

Before we welcome our two guests, Matt and Robert discuss the state of Wisconsin's long term revenue crisis. This week we learned that Wisconsinites pay less of their income in taxes than ever in the history of the state and Wisconsin is 35th in the nation in taxation. It may look bleak for pub;ic education with State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos promising sweeping tax cuts and Governor Tony Evers promoting the plunging tax rate that produced a decade of under funding for our schools, universities, and municipalities, and no new major investments in vital needs such as child care and home care. The public is tired of this race to the bottom, where Wisconsin copies the revenue policies of deep red states, and fails our kids, working people, and long term economic prosperity. Chris Gooding joins us to discuss the adjunct faculty union organizing drive at Marquette University where over 70% are signed on union authorization cards. MU is shamefully violating both workers rights and Catholic social teachings, claiming religious exemption from recognizing the adjunct faculty union. We take a deep dive with CUB's Tom Content on the We Energies rate increases approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the capture of Wisconsin's regulatory agency by the big for profit utilities. What can be done to restore government in the public interest? Listen to the show. March on Marquette's Campus in support of Union – We will be doing a march on Friday, December 6th at noon. Any sympathetic community members are encouraged to attend. Starting location TBD (we have to hold a meeting on Monday about the action first). https://ucwwisconsin.org/ Citizen Utility Board Wisconsin

Following a discussion of Trump's selections for agency appointments and the recent spate of new union organizing in Wisconsin, we dive into a discussion with two guests on immediate climate organizing opportunities progressives should be engaged in now. Former Citizen Action organizer, Kevin Kane, now with Green Homeowners United, joins us to highlight where we are in Wisconsin with the Inflation Reduction Act and ARPA implementation and what opportunities exist for organizing in Wisconsin. Kevin also strongly encourages homeowners to immediately take advantage of available federal resources. We close the show welcoming Citizen Action member and former Wausau alderman, Tom Killian, to discuss two Open Records workshops this Saturday, November 23rd in Wausau that are open to the public. One workshop, led by Bill Lueters, will provide residents and grassroots groups with insights into obtaining records from the government. The second session features Stephan Lester, who will provide information from public records about dioxin and pentachlorophenol contamination in the Thomas Street neighborhood on Wausau's southwest side that were acquired through years of citizen research.

Senator Chris Larson joins us to commemorate the life of a major figure in Democratic politics who passed this week, former State Representative and Judge Fred Kessler. Fred was one of the great political organizers of his generation, and left behind a legacy of young progressive leaders he mentored and helped elect to office. We next turn to a deep dive into rural organizing with leaders of Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW). Joining us are Executive Director Jenelle Ludwig Krauss and Organizing Director Bill Hogseth. We discuss a deeper organizing approach to reaching rural voters, and the crisis in affordable housing in rural Wisconsin. What are the implications for the path forward from the 2024 election?

With heavy hearts, we remember Milwaukee leader Jonathan Brostoff, who tragically passed away this week. We debrief the 2024 Election, looking at the results from the presidential, U.S. Senate and State Legislative elections. What does it all mean and where do we go from here? We discuss the reality that rural Wisconsin and most of rural America is continuing its realignment with the Republican Party. We are joined by People's Action Rural Strategist, Kellon Patey, who lives in southeast Ohio, to discuss the pressing need for progressive organizations and donors to seriously invest in long term, permanent organizing and community building in rural places.

We discuss the final stretch of the voting phase of the 2024 election. It all comes down to people like our listeners talking to other voters and helping them make meaning of this election. Sign up to volunteer from home on phones or join us on the doors. We discuss yet another healthcare merger as minnows, Black River Memorial Hospital and the Krohn Clinic, merge in an effort to survive all the bigger fish in the pond. Marge Rogenbuck from Lincoln County, Wisconsin joins us to discuss conservative Board Members efforts to privatize the public county nursing home. Marge is a lifelong Lincoln County resident and had both her parents stay at Pine Crest. She tells us why she joined “People For Pine Crest” and is fighting back to protect a vital and excellent public institution in her community. We close with a very special guest, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. He is jointed by Milwaukee County Sustainability Director Grant Helle, and Citizen Action Climate Coordinator Kat Klawes, to discuss the incredible new federal investments making it possible for cities, counties, and school districts to address the climate change emergency. As you will see, climate change is on the ballot on November 5th!

Early voting is now underway, as Trump/Vance and Harris/Walz crisscross Wisconsin and the other battleground states. The first day of Wisconsin early voting saw record turnout of over 100,000 voters this Tuesday. What does it mean for the same day vote? We encourage our listeners to volunteer in Citizen Action's final voter contact activities on phones and doors talking directly to targeted voters we need to win. Are you with us? In spite of two “thousand year event” hurricanes less than two weeks apart, and the warmest September on record, the climate change issue is the worst casualty of the 2024 election season. Are voters not interested, or are politicians refusing to talk about it? The second most ignored issue in the 2024 election is the current hospital and health system crisis ripping a hole in our health care safety net. We discuss how the hospital closure crisis in Eau Claire is also shocking the Madison hospital system, and the latest mega hospital chain merger of Marshfield Clinic Health System & Sanford Health. We close by welcoming Milwaukee Area Technical College educator Luz Sosa to discuss the discrimination Latinos are experiencing at MATC and how it connects to Act 10 and the gerrymandered Legislature's chronic under funding of public education.

With less than 3 weekends left before this historic election, the presidential and U.S. senate race in Wisconsin is tied. What does it all mean? Early voting starts next Tuesday and we continue to encourage our listeners to get out and talk to voters on the doors and by phone to close the deal and overcome the toxic ads demonizing our immigrant and trans neighbors and friends. We also give our unsolicited advice on what Kamala Harris and Tammy Baldwin need to do to win in Wisconsin. We follow up on a recent Public Service Commission (PSC) public hearing where the PSC tried to ban the media from covering the hearing and the lousy representation of PSC members even attending the public hearing reveals utility capture and their utter failure to represent the public interest. We continue to sound the alarm bells about the need for hospital and health system regulation, as Ascension continues its downward spiral. The latest news is that Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers in Milwaukee has switched maternity hospitals from Ascension's premier Milwaukee hospital to an Aurora hospital. Robert closes with hope that the Biden Administration will follow through the President's threat this week to cut off Israeli military aid in 30 days if Gaza aid flow does not radically improve. Is Biden finally going to have some backbone?

We discuss another climate charged hurricane hitting Florida. We question whether this epic month of hurricanes will lead to a climate reckoning in America, as climate change conspiracy theories and their politicians seem to be successfully altering the debate by shifting attention from systemic causes to convenient scapegoats that play well on social media and play into established conspiracy theories and MAGA ideology. We reflect on how this directly impacts everyone in Wisconsin. Robert tells more about the details and significance of Kamala Harris' new Medicare plan to provide long-term care in the home, plus vision and dental coverage. What else should she do to capitalize on the public's desire for accessible and affordable care – whether that is health care, home care , or child care. We debrief last week's We Energies PSC public hearings where Citizen Action members testified against outrageous rate increases and supported ZERO rate increases until there is a 2% of income rate cap for utilities. Wausau mayor Diny goes national for his removal of voter drop boxes, as the public descended upon this week's city council meeting protesting the drop box removal. Billionaire Elon Musk drops millions into trashy ads for Trump in Wisconsin. Fight back, talk to voters with Citizen Action every Tuesday and Thursday at 5pm and knock doors with us. Contact matt.brusky@citizenactionwi.org

Hurricane Helene was worse than anyone thought. We discuss the damage in North Carolina and encourage support for their relief organizing in rural North Carolina devastated by the climate change fueled storm. We talk about this week's Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) hearings on We Energies' outrageous rate hikes. We review their failure to make the green renewable energy transition and and their latest fossil fuel scheme to bilk ratepayers and the public at large. We urge freezing rates until the PSC imposed a 2% of income rate cap in the state for all utilities. Learn more about the 2% rate cap and sign our petition in support. We discuss the latest MU Law Poll showing the presidential horserace unchanged. However, Tammy Baldwin's U.S. Senate lead is growing, continuing her history of out performing the top of the ticket. We review new research showing Wisconsin would gain $1.7 billion in federal funds if the Legislature accepted available federal funds that could be used to provide health insurance coverage to tens of thousands of families through Medicaid—and to improve reimbursement rates for hospitals, clinics, doctors, and other providers. We welcome Tim Hennigan, a staff attorney at ABC For Health, to discuss an upcoming Medical Debt Symposium, the morning of Thursday, October 17th in Milwaukee. We discuss how medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy and how Wisconsin's hospitals are destroying the financial lives of their own patients for profit.

We discuss the significance of another modest hurricane intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico into a monster storm imperiling 5 southern states. What is the role of climate change? We take a deep dive into the polling paradox of presidential elections. Polls consume the media and voters attention, along with junk ads that pollute discourse, yet they reveal little and fail repeatedly to capture reality. The Wausau mayor removes ballot drop box and charges are filed against him as two northern Wisconsin towns are sued by the DOJ for voting rights violations. What are the consequences of the GOP big lie on voter fraud? Healthcare and BadgerCare become a big issue in Legislative races and we remind our listeners it is now 6 months since devastating hospital and clinic closures and NO help has been offered for the Eau Claire/Chippewa area, leaving the region reeling and public health badly damaged. We are joined by Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez to discuss a new plan for Milwaukee's iconic Mitchell Park Domes and how their critical connection to the improved health and safety of a community and neighborhood.

We discuss the Organizing Revival, launched by Citizen Action with our national partners earlier this year, which is investing in improving permanent organizing capacity in every corner of the country. Leaders from 9 Midwestern states converged in Milwaukee last week to strategize on this critical power building initiative. Next, Robert encourages your attendance at next Wednesday's statewide virtual Healthcare Action Meeting, where the group is engaged in a deep strategic analysis of the health care industry. We laud the effort of state and national advocates who urged Congress this week to raise the corporate tax rate and ensure those who make over $400,000 annually “pay their fair share” to fund critical investments such as child care, and care for the elderly and those with disabilities. On the other end we call out the International President of the Teamsters who used the crutch of internal polling to sit out this historic presidential election. The Teamsters' Black Caucus and Teamsters Wisconsin Council took a more proactive stance, supporting pro-labor candidate Kamala Harris. In other news, RFK Jr is trying to get off Wisconsin ballots days before they begin to be mailed. Why is he spending so much money on this? Robert also highlights two Issues (immigration and abortion) where the politics have dramatically shifted over the past two decades. Which will have the biggest impact in the 2024 Election?

Who won the Presidential debate and why? How epic was Trump's failure on healthcare? And does any of it matter? It may but not for the reasons many pundits think. The biggest impact may be exciting the volunteer base that will get out the vote and win over swing voters. Where you jazzed up by the debate? If so, help make it happen! Sign up to volunteer with Citizen Action today. Wisconsin now has 136 school referendums in 2024, an indictment of the state funding formula and last state budget deal. We talk about how it has become a defining issue in the state Legislative elections. Robert previews upcoming PSC hearings to get public input on We Energies' proposed rate increases in Racine on October 1st and Milwaukee on October 3rd. We preview our new statewide campaign to cap utility bills at 2% of the rate payer's income. Congressional Democrats, civil rights leaders call for changes in the Senate filibuster. Trump wants to put Sen. Ron Johnson in charge of education policy in Wisconsin and again threatens political opponents with retribution, including jail.

We are two months away from the November 5th election and campaigns are charging full speed ahead. Robert debriefs Tim Walz's speech at LaborFest in Milwaukee this Monday and we discuss how Walz's governing record in Minnesota can be a blueprint for Wisconsin Democrats, including a BadgerCare Public Option, paid family leave, a child tax credit, and affordable child care. We encourage our listeners to make next Tuesday a Day of Democracy by joining us for a 5pm – 7:45pm phone bank for Vinnie Miresse, a progressive state legislative candidate in Stevens Point and watch the Presidential debate after the phone bank We review the fallout from a disgusting Republican ad that falsely blames Senator Tammy Baldwin for the killing of 6 Waukesha parade goers in 2021, re-traumatizing Waukesha residents. The ad was condemned by the Waukesha mayor. President Biden announced almost $600M for Dairyland Power Cooperative clean energy projects. It's one of 16 rural electric cooperatives receiving a total of $7.3 billion for renewable energy projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. We talk about how the battle for the State Legislature this November is about taking on powerful private interests like CAFO operators and school privatizers.

Happy Labor Day Weekend. We discuss the significance of Labor Day, the surging support for unions, particularly among young people, and the critical need to restore democracy at work by passing the Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. We encourage all our listeners to attend an organized labor event near you, including Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz at Milwaukee's Labor Fest this Monday. We update the developing crisis in Wisconsin's monopolistic hospital and health systems. A new Eau Claire Leader Telegram article where a local doctor declares: “I don't think it's an understatement to say the HSHS closure and Prevea closure caused a medical crisis in the Chippewa Valley. I certainly see that when it comes to behavioral health each week.” We decry the failure of leaders to step up and address the brewing crisis that will surely engulf the rest of the state, starting with the increasingly troubled Ascension hospitals in southeast Wisconsin, HSHS hospitals in Green Bay, and down the road Marshfield Clinics if their latest merger does not work out. We welcome newly Citizen Action endorsed state legislative candidate Angelina Cruz to the show to discuss her campaign for a Racine-area State Assembly District 62 and how her background as an educator and union leader have prepared her for the Legislature

Citizen Action unveils more state legislative candidate endorsements and welcomes two of the newly endorsed candidates to the show, State Representative Jodi Emerson, who is running for reelection in a new more competitive district in the Chippewa Valley and Karen Kirsch who is running in Assembly District 7, a suburban Milwaukee district. We encourage our listeners to volunteer for a statewide phone bank for Yee Leng Xiong,next Tuesday, 8/27 at 5pm. We rip this week's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's coverage of the appointment of a new CEO of a merged Froedtert ThedaCare Health and his un-fact checked claims that the merger will reduce costs. We comment on Tony Evers' “jazzed as hell”' DNC roll call speech, Trump outspending Harris on TV in swing states, and why Democrats are worlds apart from the GOP on addressing climate change.

We debrief big progressive wins in important and highly watched state legislative primary elections and with the overwhelming victory by Vote NO. We welcome Citizen Action endorsed candidates, Tara Johnson and Christian Phelps, who won important primary victories on Tuesday, to the show to discuss the significance of their primary wins and why they won. Inflation is now under 3%, what is the significance and when will “the Fed” lower interest rates. As the presidential campaign heads into the Democratic Convention next week, Robert tells us what he likes about the initial ads being run by Kamala Harris' campaign , including embracing a federal ban on price gouging.

Before turning to the big political news, we challenge our listeners to get active talking to voters this weekend. This primary is critical to electing movement progressives to the state legislature and defeating the 2 damaging constitutional amendment questions on the primary ballot next Tuesday, August 13th. We have 6 phone banks the final 4 days of the election where you can call from home and door canvass opportunities in areas we have organizers. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was selected this week by Kamala Harris as her Vice Presidential running mate. We analyze the pick and discuss the choice of Eau Claire to stage an early rally for the pair. As the new Democratic ticket takes off, Trump is caught red handed with fingerprints all over Project 2025, We close with a dissection of latest MU Law Poll, where the presidential race in Wisconsin is tied, Senator Baldwin is still up 5 points, and the Republican State Legislature remains wildly unpopular, with an approval rating at an abysmal 33%!

We discuss Donald Trump's racist and false claim that Vice President Kamala Harris only recently identified as Black. Will the ex-president's race-politics backfire or play to his advantage with his angry MAGA base? Why would the Trump campaign put him in front of a conference of Black journalists, who were bound to ask him insightful and challenging questions? In more substantive developments, President Biden ratchets up his calls for Supreme Court reform, and Kamala Harris takes up the issue on the campaign trail. Is the Executive Branch finally ready to perform its Constitutional role of checking and balancing a runaway court? As Biden/Harris administration officials descend upon Battleground Wisconsin, Green Homeowners United's Kevin Kane joins us to educate us on why Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is visiting Milwaukee on Friday and how it relates to fighting climate change and creating good union jobs. We discuss why Kamala Harris will campaign with her new running mate in Eau Claire next week and how the Harris bump in Wisconsin provides greater optimism for Democrats in the state legislature this November. We shout out the great organizers at the Wisconsin Progressive Education Network (WPEN) conference this week highlighting the failed public school funding formula and the need to organize the power to win a much better state budget.

In a sudden reset, President Biden steps aside and Vice President Kamala Harris immediately consolidates overwhelming support. We discuss the implications for Election 2024 and the possible policy agenda of the new Democratic standard bearer; including, medical debt, rent inflation caps, climate change, and the War in Gaza. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu throws gasoline on the situation in a speech to a joint session of Congress. We discuss the critical August 13th State Legislative primary elections and strongly encourage progressives to get off the sidelines and talk to voters with Citizen Action. Next Tuesday, at 5pm we will be making calls for Tara Johnson in Assembly District 96, a chance to flip a GOP seat to a progressive champion. Robert tells us about a media event we organized this week in Green Bay with State Representative Kristina Shelton in support of developing state legislation addressing the consolidation of the hospital industry, skyrocketing consumer costs, and the closures of important hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin. We close by acknowledging the avalanche of local school funding referendums that are being scheduled to make up for the state's failure to properly fund public education. The same state budget lavished private voucher schools with their largest increase in 30 years

Robert joins us while on vacation and tells us about his adventures hiking the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin this week. We review the disastrous RNC in Milwaukee that has seen a Milwaukee man shot by out of state police who were outside of the RNC's security perimeter. In addition, there is a brewing economic backlash as many area businesses say the event was oversold as locals flee downtown and the city for the week and convention goers mostly stay in confined area and attend selected venues. We talk about President Biden's announcement that he will introduce legislation to cap rent increases to 5% per year, cancel medical debt, and rein in the U.S. Supreme Court. While mostly done out of political desperation, the elevation of these three significant issues is an important step for progressive organizers and our movement. We review news this week from the dangerous, cutthroat and largely unregulated world of hospital and health system competition that UW Health is starting a $900 million expansion of its hospital and clinic footprint in pursuit of profits and market control. Attend our Hospital cost and closure training on Thursday, July 25th, 6pm to hear about efforts to fight back. Citizen Action Southeast Coop Organizer, Brandon Williford, and Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez join us to discuss a wellness workshop that they are hosting at Mitchell Park with many other organizations next Tuesday, July 23rd, 3-7pm.

Citizen Action just launched our volunteer field campaign in support of our progressive candidates and “no votes” on damaging state constitutional amendments. We discuss the pivotal State Legislative primary races and the influence activists can have on electoral outcomes. Our week of calls demonstrated a real thirst among voters we talked to for progressive candidates. JOIN US on the phones next Tuesday, July 16th, 5pm, for our next primary candidate, Amillia Heredia (Assembly District 11; City of Milwaukee). We discuss news this week that the Marshfield Clinic Health System intends to combine with South Dakota-based Sanford Health. We discuss how this further consolidation of monopolistic health systems will drive up costs and lead to more closures. We critique Milwaukee Journal Sentinel coverage that reported Marshfield Clinic PR as news coverage. We also review the Eau Claire area community assessment released this week that found a serious lack of access to health care, particularly mental health services. Robert also educates us on how Medicare's crazy payment system is helping create monopolies in health care.

On this special 4th of July edition of Battleground Wisconsin, Robert Kraig has a bracing interview with former federal prosecutor Dennis Aftergut on the Supreme Court's judicial coup against American democracy. Aftergut, who has argued cases before the California and U.S. Supreme Court, digs into the shocking immunity decision, the gutting of federal regulatory authority built up since the New Deal, and the decisions on abortion and guns. He concludes that democracy and basic freedom is on the ballot because of the excesses of a right-wing authoritarian Supreme Court.

With the launch of the presidential debates this week, the fall election is in full gear nationally and in Wisconsin! We discuss Citizen Action's newly announced state legislative candidate endorsements. We focus on some key Democratic Primary elections we think our listeners should know about and get involved in helping progressive Democrats win! We review the new MU Law Poll where much is unchanged in the swing state.

Senator Chris Larson joins us to discuss the current financial reporting crisis at Milwaukee Public Schools and the direct link to nearly two decades of under-funding from the state and the lack of serious investment in democracy's most important priority, educating all of Wisconsin's children. We discuss how the opponents of public education are cynically using the situation to gut public education and democratically elected school boards. We review new research showing a majority of Americans want to forgive medical debt. We look at the connection between escalating medical costs and the current monopolistic health systems running roughshod over local communities. We talk about the shameful scheme by the Mayo monopoly to get $1 million more from the city of Eau Claire, as they suffer through an epic healthcare crisis Mayo helped create. Ascension healthcare workers are speaking out about the serious health risks posed by the data meltdown. We discuss why it speaks to the need for real regulation of hospitals and health systems in Wisconsin.