Battleground Wisconsin

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! After discussing a new study finding Foxconn will likely depress economic activity in the state by tens of billions of dollars, we welcome Kevin Kane and Rafael Smith to discuss their organizing efforts to fight climate change, and improve economic equity, in rural and urban Wisconsin.

Contact [email protected] to get involved in the campaign to support the Milwaukee climate task force.

Contact [email protected] to find out about how you can green your home anywhere in Wisconsin.

After an impeachment discussion and analysis of the new MU law Poll, we are joined by Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore-Omokunde to discuss Milwaukee’s new joint County/City task force to address climate change and economic equity. The task force starts the process of developing a concrete plan to use the leverage of local government to restructure the local fossil fuel-based economy and reorganize it to dramatically reduce the shocking racial inequality that plagues Milwaukee.

We welcome the return of State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski to the show. Sarah talks about the importance of paid family leave policies and the new state task force she is leading on retirement security. Our panel discusses the implications of the entrance of Deval Patrick in the presidential election. We review the do-nothing legislature which is adjourning for 2 months with little to show. Sean Duffy reveals he really left Congress to become a lobbyist for wealthy financial interests. Citizen Action’s new co-op in the “driftless” region launches effort to fight climate change, including through renewable energy upgrades to over 100 homes.

We discuss this week’s election results from around the country, and what they portend for 2020. We look at the significance of high profile victories in the Kentucky and Virginia and highlight some amazing members of the Working Families Party and People’s Action affiliates who won elections. We analyze the latest escalation of the Legislature’s partisan war against Governor Tony Evers: the State Senate firing of Agriculture Secretary Brad Pfaff. What does it mean, and who in Governor Evers’ cabinet is their next target? Foxconn wants to omit sprinklers from part of their new factory (what could go wrong?), the special session on gun safety comes and goes with no action, and the top electoral issues, healthcare reform, remains a no show in the legislature, despite GOP vows to do something about pre-existing condition discrimination.

We lead off with Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos' dangerously ignorant statements about climate change this week. Is the right-wing of the Republican Party the greatest threat to the survival of humanity? Next we are joined by Citizen Action’s Healthcare Director Claire Zautke to discuss a new Georgetown study finding that Trump's sabotage of the ACA is forcing many children off health care coverage in Wisconsin and nationally. We look at new legislation for marijuana decriminalization in Wisconsin, and new research that finds Wisconsin again has the worst gap in academic achievement between black and white students. Finally ex-Congressman Sean “Duffman” Duffy puts his foot in his mouth again, this time shamelessly questioning a decorated Army veteran's loyalty to country in an effort to circle the wagons around Donald Trump.

We discuss this week’s impeachment news, including the storming of a closed hearing by right-wing Members of Congressmen. Foxconn announced this week that their highly touted “innovation centers” in Wisconsin cities will not happen any time soon. Gov. Evers’ special session on guns is immediately rejected by Sen. Fitzgerald and other Republicans, who plan not to hold any debate or hearings. Also Chicago educators are on strike joining autoworkers in taking direct action against economic injustice, and yet another MU Law School poll is released, with interesting results. We also welcome Citizen Action co-op member and Eau Claire County Board Supervisor Zoe Roberts to discuss the Eau Claire City Council passage of a resolution officially recognizing November 14-20 as Transgender Awareness Week and November 20th as Transgender Day of Remembrance.

We discuss this week’s surprising House of Representatives vote where 129 House Republican members voted to rebuke Trump on Syria and will it lead to more movement for the impeachment of Trump. Robert and Karen Kirsch dive into a deeper discussion of impeachment. We also talk about the new state GOP effort to restrict Governor Evers’ veto power and to remove as many as 234,000 voters from Wisconsin’s voter roles.

We discuss the latest power grab by Speaker Vos which would allow an unlimited number of veto override votes in the Assembly. Even more shameful is Vos’ petty maneuver to pair the motion with an unrelated disability accommodation that will allow Rep. Jimmy Anderson to participate in Assembly business. In a positive development, Governor Evers signed an Executive Order this week declaring Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Wisconsin. Next, we review a very bad week for Sen. Ron Johnson who ineptly attempted to walk back his damning comments about Trump’s actions in Ukraine, making himself a national spectacle. Also, Trump’s trade war sends American manufacturing into a recession, Milwaukee residents demand answers about police cooperation with ICE, and prescription drug actions target Rep. Sensenbrenner.

We discuss President Trump’s new “Protecting Medicare from Socialist Destruction” health plan announced Thursday. We dig into Trump’s health care record, and what to expect in the impeachment debate. We also discuss Congressman Ron Kind’s impeachment position, Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s shocking attack on small dairy farmers during a visit Wisconsin, and the latest developments in the Democratic presidential primary.

After discussing our national emergency with President Trump, we welcome Wisconsin Examiner journalist, Isiah Holmes, to discuss his investigation into local police department’s cooperation with ICE, including Wauwatosa and Milwaukee. New Citizen Action Driftless Co-op Organizer Ben Wilson joins us to talk about next week’s launch event of the new driftless organizing co-op.