La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle in studio on the Legislature’s earliest adjournment in history, his priorities in this last month of work for 2026, the state’s $4 billion surplus, and a package of bills on elderly care he hopes will pass.

We began the show with Republicans, who control the Legislature, hoping to be done legislating for 2026 on Feb. 19 — which Doyle points out is the earliest it’s ever been done. Doyle also lists the priorities he feels need to be done this year, but won’t happen in less than a month’s time. One that may though, is an $800 million budget funding gap created when the Trump administration changed the rules six months after the budget was signed.

We also discussed WISEye — Wisconsin’s version of C-Span — no longer recording meetings, plus how Republicans are banning the public from recording meetings as well. There was also talk about what to do with the $4 billion budget surplus, and how the Legislature could negotiate to change the public school funding model, after Gov. Tony Evers 400-year veto from two budgets ago.

Lastly, Doyle broke down a package of bills from his work as the Vice-Chair of the Speaker's Task Force on Elder Services. Those bills included helping paramedics programs, guardrails on fraud and simplifying Medicaid applications.

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UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio talking the big names headed to La Crosse as campaign season begins, when is it OK not to tip, the La Crosse mayor trying to sway the council on the city administrator plan, and what Wisconsin's state Legislature is attempting to cram into the two months it's going to work this year.

We began the show with comments made this week on WIZM by La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey that he wants the city administrator plan to fail in next month's council vote. We discussed the sway a mayor has over council opinion's and how a La Crosse Chamber event highlighted how different cities need different kinds of administrators.

After that, we hit on Pete Buttigieg holding a town hall in La Crosse, getting an update from WIZM's Kevin Millard at the event. Then we debated whether this is a "shadow campaign" for a 2028 presidential run, and how La Crosse will likely be a landing spot for the biggest names leading into the 2026 midterms.

The second half of the show focused on the Wisconsin state Legislature, which has effectively banned recording its public meetings — unless you're media — even as it rushes to pass bills in less than two months. Earlier this week on WIZM, state Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse) said Republicans, who control the Legislature, want to be done for the year by February.

One of the bills we discussed was to eliminate tax on tips, which led to a conversation about "tip fatigue." Chergosky cited Dave Ramsey's rules for tipping, and we debated when you should and shouldn't tip.

The last thing we talked about was another bill in Wisconsin that would mandate 60 minutes of recess for grades K-6 — a big jump from the current 30-minute standard.

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Dr. Carolyn Colleen joins to discuss Viterbo's 21st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day community celebration coming up Monday. Not only do we dive into the event, highlighted by keynote speaker Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, and events running from morning until night, but Colleen also discusses the happenings on Tuesday, when 1,000 seventh graders descend on the university to learn. The conversation explores how these events aim to inspire the next generation through the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

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A month away from a vote on a city administrator, La Crosse’s mayor doesn’t support the specific plan currently on the table. Shaundel Washington-Spivey stopped in studio Thursday for La Crosse Talk PM and discussed why he’s not for this iteration of a city administrator.

We also talked about the Wisconsin DOT’s new design for bike lanes and a roundabout on 3rd and 4th streets downtown, the mayor’s trip to Harvard last month, plus the situation with ICE in Minneapolis and the conversations he’s having if they end up here.

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Ahead of his visit to the city Saturday, Brewers manager Pat Murphy joined to discuss coaching — football and basketball — Bob Uecker and, of course, pocket pancakes. Murphy will be the La Crosse Loggers special guest Saturday for their winter BBQ at the La Crosse Center, appropriately themed “An Evening with Pat Murphy.” On the show, we dove deep on pocket pancakes, if he'd rather coach the Packers or Brewers and what he learned from Bob Uecker. 

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Wisconsin State Rep. Jill Billings in studio to discuss how Republicans in control of the Legislature aim to wrap up their work for the year by the end of February.

Billings also addressed the recent funding loss for WisconsinEye — a state version of C-SPAN — which has left only the media as the source of video for committee and floor sessions. This comes as the GOP begins enforcing an old rule barring the public from recording these meetings.

We also dive into Billings' Water Quality Notification Act. She explains her decade-long effort to mandate that the DNR alert local health departments within seven days of finding PFAS "forever chemicals," nitrates or other contaminants in area drinking water. We talk of the bill's significant bipartisan momentum and whether leadership will allow a floor vote before the session ends.

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A roundabout and bike lanes in downtown La Crosse, ending “prayer” before council meetings, and cutting judges’ terms to save tax money. Those are the big topics we discussed with Mac Kiel on Monday’s La Crosse Talk PM.

Ending council invocations

After that, we talked about the council voting 9-4 to end “invocations,” which is basically prayer before meetings. Mac, a former council member, shared her perspective on how these moments can feel non-inclusive to those not practicing the faith being represented. The debate compared these religious moments to the council’s moment of silence for the Ho-Chunk people, which serves as a factual historical reminder of the land's history.

The "magical" hybrid bike lanes plan for downtown

Recapping last week’s council meeting, the Wisconsin DOT came prepared for a vote on them coming up with another alternative to the Downtown Corridor Study. The old plans were basically either protected bike lanes down one side of 3rd and 4th streets downtown and losing half the on-street parking, or extending the sidewalks and keeping parking.

But, we discuss the DOT’s new plan, which basically creates the best of all worlds — sidewalk-level bike lanes, keeping the parking, and adding a roundabout at the La Crosse Street-3rd/4th street intersection. This option would only lose roughly seven parking spots, while connecting the 2nd Street cycle track to Vine Street.

Judicial terms and consolidation

Lastly, we discussed how changing a municipal judge’s term from four to two years — which the council also approved — will save taxpayer dollars. By aligning La Crosse’s judicial cycle with the City of Onalaska, the two cities can explore consolidating into a single municipal judge in two years. This would reduce overhead and caseload costs by sharing one judge between both municipalities.

Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population.

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From governments holding invocations — like prayers before meetings — to the best and worst first-date topics, we covered it all with University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky.

The conversation comes as the La Crosse City Council voted Thursday to end invocations before meetings. WIZM’s Brad Williams helped open the show with his own rendition of an invocation, before breaking down that council decision and the local history surrounding the practice.

We somehow wove the invocation conversation into a talk about first-date topics, as Chergosky shared a story about studying up for the show at a coffee shop only to overhear a couple talking about the exact same thing — religion.

Chergosky also shared how his students ended up interested in the topic for an entirely different reason, almost by accident. During one of his classes on Congress, his students gravitated to the opening of Senate and House meetings with a prayer, leading to four distinct types of reactions.

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Seven-time log rolling world champion, Livi Pappadopoulos, stopped in studio to talk about how ending up alone balancing on a log in the water can be an amazing third space.

All week, La Crosse Talk PM has focused on third spaces — so not home, not work, but that third space where you can be social or feel part of the community.

As the director of Coulee Region Log Rolling, Pappadopoulos talked about her start in the sport being far less than phenomenal. She first bugged her dad to let her try it at the YMCA when she was 8 years old, admitting she was "bad" at first and could only stay on for a couple of seconds. She also got a certain radio talk show host to try the sport and, like the world champ, he too was bad at first — but time will tell how much worse he can get.

Pappadopoulos' career, though, proves that with work, it can become a lifelong passion. That passion has been passed down, too. Pappadopoulos has a bit of a protegee, in fellow Holmen native Iny Anderson. While the 22-year-old Pappadopoulos is ranked No. 1 in the world, 17-year-old Anderson is right behind her, ranked second. We talked about their rivalry, plus the only female to ever beat Pappadopoulos in a sanctioned event, Ellie Davenport, back in 2019.

Another big topic was the history of the sport, which Pappadopoulos knew all about. She explained how a dangerous 19th-century job became a modern sport built on core strength and balance. While it originated with lumberjacks risking their lives on "river drives," it has evolved into a safe, accessible community activity at the La Crosse YMCA and at Coulee Region Log Rolling events in the area.

To get involved, new winter sessions at the La Crosse YMCA begin Jan. 18. Pappadopoulos will be there to help and perhaps be ready for the La Crosse Open on June 20 at Pettibone this summer.

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Amanda Worman Holmgaard stopped in studio to talk about how The Good Fight Community Center in La Crosse is a third space for kids.

La Crosse Talk PM has focused this first week of the new year on third spaces — so not home, not work, but that third space where you can be social or feel part of the community.

Worman Holmgaard, the executive director at The Good Fight, tells us how the center isn’t simply boxing. It’s a place for mentoring and education, where they’re holistically supporting kids ages 10-18.

While the "sweet science" is a hook for many, Worman Holmgaard explains that boxing is used as a vessel to teach discipline, resilience and self-control. She said for some of the kids, they may come from at-risk or low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and The Good Fight serves as a "home away from home."

The center, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this August, offers much more than a gym. Worman Holmgaard talks about how the 6,800-square-foot space has a game room with foosball and gaming computers, an art area, and a lounge, where meals are served daily. She said they also focus on education as a pillar of the program, including using a "March Madness" academic incentive competition, tutoring, and the "Becoming" program, which helps 8th graders transition into high school.

We also discussed the logistics for parents, including their robust subsidy program that ensures the $25 monthly fee is never a barrier for a child.

Worman Holmgaard noted that while they see more boys than girls, the program is open to everyone — and you don't even need to bring your own gear to get started, or even need to come for boxing at all. 

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