Battleground Wisconsin

We start with the conservative State Assembly's end of session late night toga party. Then we move to the bizarre behavior of Rep. Bernier who burst out of a meeting with local school board members. We welcome former state representative Jeff Smith to discuss Rep. Bernier’s actions and Citizen Action’s new campaign, led by Jeff, to organize the creation of a Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative in Western Wisconsin. We discuss new polling numbers that reveal 62% of Wisconsinites want to see the U.S. Supreme Court seat filled this year, and Senator Ron Johnson's efforts to block the appointment. Paul Ryan watch finds Ryan continuing to fight with Trump and adding Megyn Kelly to his list of sparring partners. Finally, Robert discusses over $200 million that working families risk leaving on the table this tax season which could boost flagging local economies across Wisconsin.

We review this week’s big Spring Primary Election that included a strong performance by JoAnne Kloppenburg and a huge upset win for Chris Larson. We discuss the bevy of bad bills conservatives rammed through the legislature this week and one awful bill that did NOT, the privatization of municipal water systems. Wisconsin learns more about the critical role immigrants play in our economy, particularly the state's iconic dairy industry, during Thursday’s "A Day Without Latinos" rally at the Capitol. Robert tells us about his trip to Wausau to talk about how we can expanding economic opportunity in Wisconsin.

We welcome Eyon Biddle, Deputy Director of the Wisconsin Working Families, to discuss why Citizen Action of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Working Families have endorsed Chris Larson for County Executive in Tuesday's primary election. Eyon also tells us about other candidates for Milwaukee Common Council and County Board that have been endorsed by Wisconsin Working Families and how you can help Get Out The Vote by phone banking and canvassing this weekend for Chris Larson.

We welcome former Milwaukee talk radio host and new podcast panelist Earl Ingram to the show. We discuss next Tuesday’s spring primary election, this week’s vote in the assembly to restrict voter registration and a new conservative bill to give lawmakers access to John Doe records. Earl and Robert review this week’s launch of Citizen Action's Radio Active project to fight back against right wing media. Jorna also updates us on Paul Ryan’s struggles with the right-wing freedom caucus on a budget deal.

We discuss the latest rushed conservative legislation to restrict voting rights and the newly open (and potentially competitive) Congressional seat in Northeast Wisconsin. We review new dismal approval ratings for Scott Walker and GOP predictions of a bad state budget. Milwaukee Teachers Education Association president Kim Schroeder joins us to update listeners about a national Walk-In for Public Schools day next Wednesday, February 17. Jorna provides a Paul Ryan Watch update on the snack party he held this week for the conservative "Freedom" Caucus. We talk about Sen. Tammy Baldwin's legislation to end corporate inversions like the one Johnson Controls recently announced. Finally we chat with Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative member Ted Kraig about the exciting new Radio Active media project launching next Monday evening in Milwaukee.

Progressive Talk Show host, Jeff Santos, gives a ringing endorsement to the new Citizen Action of Wisconsin Cooperative's Radio Active program.

RADIO-ACTIVE is an effort to take back Milwaukee’s airwaves from the corporatist right wing, and it features two phases: (1) We plan to monitor local talk radio hosts, and hold them and their corporate sponsors accountable for their deceptive, hate-filled messages, and (2) we will work towards founding a community-owned radio station that will air commercial progressive talk programming.

The membership of the Citizen Action of Wisconsin Cooperative recently embarked on a new campaign called RADIO-ACTIVE. It’s an effort to take back Milwaukee’s airwaves from the corporatist right wing, and it features two phases: (1) We plan to monitor local talk radio hosts, and hold them and their corporate sponsors accountable for their deceptive, hate-filled messages, and (2) we will work towards founding a community-owned radio station that will air commercial progressive talk programming.

The Thom Hartmann Program is on our A-list for the station.

We discuss Johnson Controls’ decision to desert Wisconsin and America for a tax dodge and how Hillary's and Bernie's responses are instructive in understanding the policy divisions in the Democratic Presidential Primary. We explore the reticence of elected officials to critique a large local company, even when it’s behavior is morally bankrupt. We review new data ranking Wisconsin 38th in private job creation. We also discuss a Democratic effort to make in-state college tuition free, the January 31st ACA enrollment deadline and DJ Ryan can’t stop lyin’ even in a snowstorm. We also talk about the passing of Richard “Dick” Presser. Dick was a force in the Wisconsin labor movement and a driving force in the creation of Citizen Action of Wisconsin in the 1980s.

We welcome Judge Joe Donald to announce Citizen Action’s endorsement of Judge Donald for Wisconsin Supreme Court. The important race includes a Primary Election on Tuesday, February 16th and a General Election on Tuesday, April 5th. Our panel discusses Gov. Walker’s state of the state speech, Senate GOP votes to end civil service in favor of political patronage, Planned Parenthood healthcare clinics are defunded, immigrants come in large numbers to the Capitol to stand up for “Sanctuary Cities” in Wisconsin and Paul Ryan promises an Affordable Care Act replacement in 2016.

We welcome U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin to discuss her letter to Governor Walker calling on him to stop withholding data on the number of people he forced off BadgerCare who have successfully transitioned to Affordable Care Act health insurance. Sen. Baldwin also discusses the future of health care reform and her comprehensive efforts to make higher education more affordable and accessible. The panel also discusses a crazy right-wing bill to allow concealed weapons in schools, the latest outburst from Rep. “Loose Cannon” Bob Gannon, a bill to expand the number of locations you can vote early, public records concealed by Walker's WEDCulous jobs agency, and this week's Paul Ryan Watch.