La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Viterbo director of the Ethics Institute, Dr. Rick Kyte, joined to discuss his book called, "Finding Your Third Place." While the Olympics just wrapped up, this conversation we quickly learned wasn't about any bronze metal, it was more about where both children and adults find space when they're not home and not at work. In some communities, that space is dwindling. It's also a space that's gone virtual, as well, and Kyte didn't see that as a positive. The book can be found at Pearl Street Books in downtown La Crosse.

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Wisconsin Democratic state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings in studio discussing the "knocking doors" world of campaigning, Legislature still holding up funding for PFAS, childcare and more, plus will UW-La Crosse’s science center ever get built.

Began the show talking about campaigning, is it realistic to know on all the doors and if things will get nasty between Billings and her GOP opponent, Cedric Schnitzler, for the 95th District seat in the Assembly.

From there, we moved on to some of the funding for state initiatives (16:10) that have been held up by the GOP-led Joint Finance Committee on PFAS funding, hospital closure response, childcare and K-12 literacy.

We then went back to Billings new district lines (21:00), plus a bit of an overview of the Democratic National Convention. 

Ended the show (31:20) discussing how Republicans have now for about six years blocked funding for phase II of UW-La Crosse's Prairie Springs Science Center, which went from $87 million to build to $187 million last year. No price on what it would cost next year yet.  

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UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio breaking down the August primary, the relatively huge turnout, Republicans losing on the constitutional amendments and Rebecca Cooke winning in the UW House race. 

Began the show on voter turnout, which wasn’t huge, but also was at a 60-year high. 

We then took a sidebar (9:30) from election recap, first talking about how Chergosky nearly got hit by a bicyclists on the sidewalk — across the road from the 2nd Street bike track — and what looks good to eat at the Minnesota State Fair coming up.

Next (14:40) we got back into the failed GOP constitutional amendments and if turnout had anything to do with that, and how another amendment — basically culture war nonsense from the GOP — coming on the November ballot. 

Lastly (23:55), we got into the 3rd District race for US House in Wisconsin that saw Cooke kind of easily win over the two other Democrats and what the results say about moving on to face Republican Derrick Van Orden.

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La Crosse School Board president, and Western Tech associate dean, Dr. Juan Jimenez, in studio discussing new class terms at the college and the school district's $53.5 million referendum question on the November ballot. 

Began the show, though, talking a bit about school getting ready to start and rule from the state that it can’t begin before Sept. 1, because the tourism industry needs child labor through the summer months, and if that rule should or could change with a different state Legislature.

Then we got into how Western Technical College (7:05) is getting set to implement, full time, new class term lengths and why it made that decision. WTC slow rolled that out over summer and is now doing seven-week- long classes full time. 

Lastly (20:35), we hit on the School District of La Crosse's $53.5 million referendum question for the fall election that will do these things: 

— Create eight new classrooms, new gym at State Road Elementary
— Tear down the Hogan Administrative site.
— Consolidate students from Emerson and Spence into new elementary at the Hogan site. 
— Close Hintgen and consolidate those students to State Road.

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A lot going on in La Crosse this weekend on both ends of the spectrum, as Jean Taylor and Josh Hertel both join to talk about two big events.

First (7:15), Taylor breaks down this new two-day party called Big River Rally on Friday and Saturday at the downtown Oktoberfest grounds and beyond. Then Hertel joins (18:50) to talk about Coulee Con, this gaming extravaganza, happening Friday-Sunday at the La Crosse Center. 

Began the show, though, with a bit of a recap from the August primary, with the two Republican-written constitutional amendments being voted down, Tara Johnson and Rebecca Cooke winning Democratic primaries for state Assembly and US House.

Big River Rally features a pair of concerts — Buckcherry on Friday and Jackyl on Saturday — stunt shows, a bike show, vendors, a veterans breakfast and a pair of rides through the Coulee Region, including one featuring WKTY's Bill Michaels and Jackyl's Jesse James Dupree. For more info and tickets, click here.

And, at the La Crosse Center, the 10th annual and possibly last Coulee Con — a tabletop gaming convention that's put on by Hertel, who is also the president of Coulee Gaming Inc.

Get tickets for Coulee Con by clicking here.

One of the cool aspects that we discussed was how Hertel gets sent never-before-played games, sets up tournaments with them and the winner takes home the game, which may be one of a kind or the next big thing.

Hertel says this will be the last Coulee Con — for now. 

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It doesn't start off the show, but Adam Murphy and I discuss a new Microsoft data center going up in Wisconsin in the Foxconn plant area, which is going to be a major energy suck. Something that Donald Trump recently spoke about, and we all might agree with him that the government needs to do something.

Before that, though, we started off with Hunger Task Force (HTF) of La Crosse executive director Shelly Fortner on food scarcity. 

Among the things we talked to Fortner about included the need for volunteers at the HTF, plus how the food bank, pantries and food programs are struggling, and might have to consolidate a bit as to not duplicate services. 

The HTF is the only food bank between Madison and Rochester, distributing goods to 120 meal sites, food pantries, youth and backpack programs in the region.

After that (15:30), Murphy, who we call our political blowhard, discusses A.I., data centers and the massive amounts of energy they need to exist. But we started that interview with Donald Trump talking about this in a more simplistic fashion. Trump's comments came at a Bitcoin conference at the end of July.

Ended the show (32:40) with a quick rant on the August primary coming to an end Tuesday, and how ridiculous it is Republicans put two Wisconsin constitutional amendments on a ballot that will see a ridiculously low turnout. 

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Cashton native Gabe Anderson in studio to tell the story of how he created his e-sports streaming company, LobbyUp!, while he was stationed overseas in the Marines.

Anderson’s streams, which feature mainly Madden and now College Football, have featured Green Bay Packers defensive end Preston Smith, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick and former Badgers running back and Super Bowl champ Corey Clement. 

Anderson explains just what LobbyUp! is, how he got started and what to expect in the future, including another tournament with the Packers Smith and Mayz on the call. 

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UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in the WIZM studio Friday for La Crosse Talk PM discussing the impact of two Wisconsin constitutional amendments on Tuesday's a low voter turnout ballot, recapping the city council’s homeless ban and Snoop Dogg at the Olympics.

Diving into politics (9:00), we discussed the two constitutional amendments Republicans put on the August primary ballot, how difficult they are to interpret and how they are also hidden on the ballot. 

After that, WIZM’s Brad Williams joined (22:00), a day after he covered Thursday’s city council meeting, where they voted 7-5 to essentially ban homeless people from existing on city property. We also talked about how the city’s resources are finite and some on the council have called on the state or federal government to do something about the crisis. Wisconsin’s state Legislature hasn’t passed a bill on homelessness in at least six years, according to Republican Assembly Rep. Loren Oldenburg (Viroqua).

Ended the show (35:40), where we began, talking about the Olympics. Started with the break dancing competitions and finished on how Snoop Dogg has been paid $500,000 a day to be a cheerleader at the Olympics. 

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She authored the bill that helped get Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz the vice presidential nomination.

Now, Minnesota state Rep. Sydney Jordan (D-Hennepin) didn’t take credit for the bill Thursday on La Crosse Talk PM, but she did tell the story of that day — Walz surrounded by students, signing the bill in Jordan's district (you can see her crying in the background), giving free school meals to students across the state, followed by fist bumps and hugs.

Jordan was asked about three weeks ago to join the show and talk about an immensely important plastics bill that she got through the Legislature and to Walz’s desk. Then something happened earlier this week that also seemed important — Walz getting the vice presidential nomination from Kamala Harris.

Along with the free school meals and plastics bill, Jordan also talks about Republicans pinning "Tampon Tim" on Walz, and how Democrats love it, because it's due to their legislation to provide free menstrual products in public school bathrooms across the state. 

One other thing Jordan talked about was Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who — if Harris and Walz win the election — would become the first Native American governor in US history and the first female governor in Minnesota. Flanagan is already is the highest-ranking Native American ever elected to office.

Jordan was elected right before 2020 during a special election and has experienced being the only state in the country with a split Legislature, before then being a part of Democrats taking full control of state government and passing incredibly dynamic legislation that has helped boost Walz’s profile for Democrats as the VP candidate.

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Ryan Huebsch, who's running for Wisconsin state Assembly in the 94th District, in the WIZM studio discussing the fight over PFAS legislation, his view on the two constitutional amendments on the primary ballot, why he's in the race, and how he was an infant when he attended his first political fundraiser — which was for his dad, Mike Huebsch, who was once the state rep. in District 94.

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