We applaud a victory for local democracy this week in little Greenleaf, Wisocnsin. When Big Tech came calling, local residents pushed back so quickly on a proposed data center that the developers immediately pulled out. We put the Greenleaf story in perspective, taking a deep dive into the details of bills from Legislative Republicans and Democrats, and commitments so far by candidates for Governor, to create a framework for regulating data centers. Are the current proposals enough to make sure the data center binge will not jack up already high utility rates, and prevent a response to global warming at the scale and urgency of the crisis? We also evaluate the first 2026 Affordable Care Act enrollment numbers in the aftermath of the end of enhanced affordability subsidies. Will the enrollment numbers get worse without meaningful action by Congress? We close with the ongoing attempt to criminalize dissent at the state Capitol.

We lead off with Trump’s gun boat diplomacy in Venezuela and the shocking bloodshed perpetrated by ICE in Minneapolis. What does it mean and how is the resistance to authoritarianism responding so far?

We welcome State Representative Ryan Clancy to discuss three game changing progressive tax bills that would transform how Wisconsin funds K-12 schools, local governments, and other public services. If enacted, Wisconsin would become the first state to fund K-12 schools primarily through a progressive income tax, leading to a 44% reduction in the median Wisconsin property tax bill. The two other bills restore Wisconsin’s estate tax for those valued higher than $15M, and create a new local option income tax on the ultra wealthy.

We review new analysis by Wisconsin Watch that 46% of State’s private school students get public-financed vouchers and 96% are in religious schools.

We close with the U.S. House revolt against Trump and Speaker Johnson on the expiring ACA affordability subsidies. Nine Republicans defied Trump and Johnson, forcing the vote, all from swing districts, but not Derrick Van Ordin. Does it have a chance in the U.S. Senate? At the state level, some legislative Republicans are advancing a bill requiring transparent hospital pricing for “shoppable services” that has split the big corporate business interests from the hospitals. Is there an opening among Republicans and corporate interests to rein in Wisconsin’s astronomical hospital prices, which are the highest in the Midwest and the 5th highest in the country? Robert also asks why Senator Chris Larson is the only Democrat co-sponsoring the legislation?

We start with an analyis of the latest health care melodrama in D.C., where four House Republicans unexpectedly broke ranks, joining Democrats in forcing a vote on the renwal of ACA subsidies. Speaker Johnson will not hold the required vote until January. But even if it passes in the House, it will face an almost certain filibuster in the Senate. Meanwhile millions of Americans will lose healthcare coverage, and those who decide to pay skyrocketing premiums will be forced to cut back on other basics.

We welcome State Representative Angelina Cruz to discuss the budget bait and switch on special education funding. The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) announced l that the state will fail to meet the 42% special education reimbursement promised in the recent state budget., and by elected leaders of both parties when they celebrated the budget "compromise." Rep. Cruz tells us about new legislation to ensure all schools get special education funding they were promised

Following Rep. Cruz, we discuss a new three bill package that transforms how Wisconsin funds K-12 schools and other public goods in Wisconsin. If enacted, Wisconsin would become the first state to fund K-12 schools primarily through a progressive income tax, leading to a 44% reduction in the median Wisconsin property tax bill. Another bill restores Wisconsin’s estate tax for estates valued higher than $14M and creates a new local option income tax on people who make $1M a year or more. These tools provide new, fairer options to raise revenue at the state and local levels, and begin the long process of unwinding record levels of income and wealth inequality.

We also talk about this week’s highly publicized trial of Judge Hannah Dugan Trial in Milwaukee, data center opponents launch a recall effort against Port Washington Mayor, and the "Monsters of the Midway" threaten to move to Indiana, the latest move in their failing (but on-going) campaign to shake down Illinois for unneeded public subsidies at the expense of schools, health care, and other public priorities. So far Illinois elected leaders are holding firm, in stark contrast to Wisconsin's bipartisan cave in to the Brewers billionaire owner last year.

We welcome Corrine Hendrickson, with Main Street Alliance, to talk about the upcoming Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN) Lobby Day on January 20, 2026 at the state Capitol where childcare, education and healthcare funding will be center stage in day of action. We encourage our listeners to attend.

Next, we are joined by Amy Barrilleaux, Communications Director at Clean Wisconsin, to encourage our listeners to sign their petition calling for a statewide pause of approvals of A.I. data centers until we can get better, transparent data necessary to develop a comprehensive plan to protect the environment, avoid massive increases in utility costs for residential customers, and prevent a massive increase in climate-busting greenhouse gas emissions.

We discuss Department of Public Instruction’s report this week that the state will fail to meet 42% special education reimbursement promised in the recent state budget. In a classic bait and switch, the state will only pay 35% of special education costs, dumping the rest on already underfunded public school districts.. Democratic lawmakers are proposing a new bill to ensure schools get special education funding at the rate promised in the state budget process.

Robert does a deep dive into the health care drama in Washington, D.C. where Senate Republicans advance a junk alternative to renewing Affordable Care Act subsidies. We give you a full account of why the GOP plan would be a disaster for Americans already struggling to afford health care.

We discuss the latest shocking affront to basic human decency by the Trump Regime, starving food insecure American families by cutting off SNAP to states that have not shared the private personal data of recipients with the regime's security forces. Governor Evers and Attorney General Kaul are right to tell Trump to pound sand. Will the federal courts or Congress stop them from triggering a hunger crisis in the U.S.?

We review a fascinating discussion earlier this week at a U.S. Senate panel which began as a discussion of extending ACA tax subsidies but evolved into a broader bi-partisan discussion of the broken and unaffordable healthcare system. Senators Bernie Sanders and Tammy Baldwin point out there is a consensus the system needs fundamental reform. We dig into the details and its implications for progressives and healthcare reform advocates.

We are joined by State Representative Darrin Madison to discuss the 2% of income utility rate cap bill. The legislation is still seeking co-sponsors until Monday December 8th. We urge our listeners to call their legislators today and email them by following this link. We look at how this bill connects to the current data center explosion, and the increasingly vehement and bipartisan protests, which are being ignored by most politicians.

We lead-off with Milwaukee Area Labor Council President Pam Fendt to discuss a successful organizing campaign by union workers at the City of Milwaukee to win a Common Council vote to override the Mayor’s budget vetoes, including his effort to scale backe to pay increases for city employees who live in Milwaukee. We connect this worker-led union effort to the possibility of the 2026 state elections leading to a Democratic trifecta which could set the stage to overturn Act 10 and other anti-worker policies in Wisconsin. Will a new Democratic majority be ready to raise the additional revenue to make up for all the lost ground caused by Scott Walker's union busting?

We update the co-sponsor count for the Utility Rate Cap bill, bringing the total of sponsors to 19. We encourage our listeners to contact your state Senators and Representatives next week before the December 5th co-sponsorship deadline.

Robert updates us on the latest indications of an AI data center superpowered stock market bubble that could generate another financial meltdown, and leave Wisconsinites deal with abandoned data centers and unneeded methane gas plants. Citizen Action is an early supporter of Clean Wisconsin’s petition to pause AI Data Centers until a comprehensive plan to deal with climate emissions, water, and energy costs for consumers is developed. We discuss why this is so important, especially considering the potential for a historic AI data center bubble bursting and leaving us holding the bag.

Robert helps us better understand the policy question embroiling federal politics: Is Trump really trying to extend ACA subsidies as he announced this week? And will WisconsinEye halt its unique coverage of state politics on December 15th without more funds, further reducing the transparency and accountability of state government.

We discuss the pathbreaking Utility Rate Cap bill which is currently circulating for co-sponsors in the state legislature. We praise the current co-sponsors and encourage our listeners to reach out to their state legislators today.

We expose the continuing perversion of democracy and human decency that finds Speaker Robin Vos unilitarially blocking the latest effort to pass a PostPartum Care Expansion bill in the Assembly with overwhleming bi-partisan support. It already pased Wisconsin Senate 32-1.

We continue the conversation on the un democratic rush to approve and throw tax giveaways at AI data centers owned by the world’s richest people and largest tech companies. We look at the public uprising where conservatives, independents and democrats agree the data center assault on communities is corporate welfare in the guise of economic development.

We close with a dive into the new national MU Law Poll that trumpets Trump vulnerability. We are not as sure. We also look at how voters’ clear top issue is the cost of living and how no matter where you live in Wisconsin you should shuld make enough income to afford the basics of life. House Democrats call on Trump to act on an epidemic of claims denials in employer-sponsored health care. And, Group Health Co-op board to discuss motions to recognize the nurse and healthcare workers union.

This week America met the “Benedict 8” – who pursued a craven, cynical, and ultimately unstrategic betrayal of the American public. We dive into how the “Benedict 8” and the leadership that enabled them exposes what’s wrong with Democratic leadership and how it fails to deliver on its goals. Does this low point provide a moment to break with failed policies of the past and craft a new vision for the Democratic Party rooted in fighting powerful wealthy interests and winning on issues that dramatically improve the lives of the American people.

We discuss the successful Citizen Action of Wisconsin Climate and Utility Justice Lobby Day this week at the Capitol where 150 citizen lobbyists from around the state met with legislators and attended a media event to announce the 2% of Income Utility Rate Cap Bill. We unpack why the new legislation is critical.

The U.S. Catholic Bishops overcome the ideological cleavage in the church to condemn Trump immigration policies. What are the implications for the gestapo-like tactics of ICE? We discuss the new campaign against AT&T, who is helping ICE identify and pursue people across the country. AT&T contracts with ICE, CBP, and DHS—the agencies running Trump’s deportation machine—and the terror that comes with it. We urge listeners to attend an event exposing AT&T in Illinois this Saturday.

With Matt under the weather, Robert goes solo with the help of podcast producer Mollee Albinger asking the questions. We dig into the aftermath of the Democratic sweep in the off year elections this week. What does it mean for the ending of the government shutdown and the fight to save liberal democracy? Meanwhile, still unwilling to negotiate with Democrats over health care costs, Trump doubles down on his calls on Senate Republicans to end the filibuster, and Ron Johnson flips to support the President. Is ending the filibuster one of the only good things for democracy Trump may accomplish? We also dig into the trumped up political scandal focused on the Department of Instruction's handling of teacher misconduct cases, more revelations on the massive environmental and economic costs of the Data Centers, plus Marathon County cooperation with ICE, and book banning in the Milwaukee burbs.

We take a deep dive into the on-going data center debate in Wisconsin for the entire show.

We welcome IUPAT District Council No. 7, Director of Governmental Affairs Office, Andy Buck to tell us why their union supports the current data centers that will be built union and how IUPAT members get work and sustain work.

Next, State Senator Chris Larson joins us to provide his political perspective and educate us on the state’s role in enabling the current dynamic and how we need to see the current organizing opportunity the data centers provide.

Finally, 620AM WTMJ’s Kristin Brey returns to the show to discuss her insightful observation that there is a unique coalition of political forces aligned against and for the new data centers and what does it say about the current political environment.