Welcome to the Wisconsin Leads podcast with state Sen. Dale Kooyenga, where we talk to business leaders, organizations, and everyday people from the state of Wisconsin about real problems in need of real solutions.
Sen. Dale Kooyenga delivers the Republican radio address. He discusses the recent unrest in Wauwatosa and commends the brave men and women of law enforcement and the Wisconsin National Guard, who helped ensure that Wauwatosa didn't experience the same level of destruction recently experienced by Kenosha.
Dale talks with Krist Atanasoff, third generation business owner of Krist Oil Co., and Rick Essenburg, founder and President of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, about the Unfair Sales Act, or Minimum Markup Law, and how it affects local businesses and the free market.
Last March, the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to sports betting in the states by overturning a 1992 federal law. Will Wisconsin legalize sports betting any time soon? Dale joined Ryan LeCloux, a legislative analyst who recently wrote an informative paper about sports betting for the state Legislative Reference Bureau.
Ian Abston and Michael Hostad talk with Dale about their work to light up Milwaukee’s Hoan Bridge entirely through crowdfunding efforts. The two believe illuminating the bridge will create a celebratory Milwaukee landmark that will attract talented newcomers to the city.
Lou Banach recollects to Dale his epic life story as the child of WWII survivors, as a foster child, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, and now a co-author of Uncommon Bonds: A Journey in Optimism. Banach also shares with Dale his 5 L’s for a successful life.
Richard Meussen is the CEO of Badger Meter, the largest water meter company in North America today. He talks with Dale in this episode about how the business of water meters has changed since his company’s founding, about his co-founding of The Water Council, and about what the Council does for freshwater innovation.
This episode, Dale meets with three women associated with the Safe Families for Children Milwaukee Branch, a non-profit organization that seeks to provide safe places for children to stay while parents are given resources to create a better life for their families.
On this, the hundredth year of women’s suffrage in Wisconsin, Dale invites the Wisconsin Historical Society’s coordinator of secondary education, Jenny Kalvaitas, to discuss the milestone. The two regale listeners with the wild journey that led to Wisconsin becoming the first state in the Union to ratify women’s right to the universal vote.