In this week’s episode we assess the budget debacle and offer an inspiring model for a brighter political future. In the first half of the show, we assess the damages from the GOP State Budget, signed into law Wednesday by Governor Evers with a series of partial vetoes. Did Evers use the magic of his veto pen to fix a deeply irresponsible and damaging budget? Or did the Governor lose the budget battle by not mobilizing public opinion against the gerrymandered Legislature’s most unpopular and damaging decisions, and acceding to closed door concessionary bargaining? In the second half of the show we turn to an emerging model in neighboring Illinois on how to build a bolder and more progressive cadre of Democratic elected officials. Robert interviews one of the prime orchestrators of the leftward turn in Illinois politics, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago). They sat down for an in-depth discussion of what Wisconsin can learn from Illinois during the People’s Action National Convention in Washington, DC.