La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

She didn't right away, but we got La Crosse County clerk Ginny Dankmeyer to make a turnout prediction for Tuesday's primary election. Dankmeyer joined for a bit to break down some of the ins and outs of Wisconsin's primary. Around that conversation we talked a bit more generally about what's on the ballot for the primary and some of the questions on the April ballot, as well.

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UW-La Crosse political science professor in studio talking about Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers state budget release, including giving the Milwaukee Brewers $290 million for stadium renovations and dueling tax cut policies between Republicans and the governor. That led to a discussion about how politicians troll each other with legislation and get mad if someone else takes what's perceived as their idea — essentially how politics plays its role here. Lastly, we discussed a guy stealing a trailer loaded with 200,000 Cadbury eggs.

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Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Jill Billings joins for the hour, to break down some of the two-year budget released by Gov. Tony Evers, including childcare and family initiatives and what to do about PFAS. We also discussed the dueling tax relief plans from both parties, as well as the budget process from here on out and how the public can get involved and give their opinions on what's important to them. 

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UW-La Crosse Outreach Coordinator Spencer Wilken — or Mrs. Photon — in studio to talk science, including things that cannot be explained, like meat raining from the sky, how Tylenol works, why curling (the sport) stones curl and where all Earth’s water came from. The meat shower comes from a phenomenon that happened March 3, 1876, where it literally rained meat and nobody knows why. Science also can't explain how Tylenol works, or why those stones you throw down the ice curve in that matter. We also discussed the melting of the Doomsday Glacier, or Thwaite’s Glacier — named after a UW geologist — climate change in general, and the discovery of a 350-pound, Shaq-sized penguin.

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It's Bizarro World on this Valentine's Day with a Wisconsin Republican proposal being floated that Rick agrees with, while Gov. Tony Evers is looking to throw $290 million to a millionaire. Before that, however, we talk with WIZM's Brad Williams about some interesting episodes happening in court, already, this week, including a guy who spit at officers and threatened their lives. Then we got into the Republican proposal to help those requesting open records — legislation that would directly clash with what conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled on last year, to help stall requests, which costs individuals getting those records money in lawyer fees. On the other side of Bizarro World, Evers wants to give the Brewers $290 million to fix a stadium that cost $392 million, in exchange that they agree to stay in Wisconsin for another 20 years. Wrapped up talking about the origins of Valentine's Day, which had to do with sacrificing goats and dogs and whipping women with those hides, apparently.

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Jillian Olson joins to discuss some of the big plans and potential plans for the Outdoor Recreation Alliance. The group is looking to purchase 277 acres of land on La Crosse’s southside. Olson, ORA’s operations director, talks about what they intend to do with that and how La Crosse County might help. Olson also discusses what ORA does in general and some of the other big projects they have ongoing, including two in La Crosse — one’s a treehouse — and another in West Salem. After that, I talk quick about an Ohio train derailment that looks to have a huge environmental impact spanning multiple states. Hoping to have, later this week, someone with the county discuss the situation and how that might get handled in La Crosse.

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UW-La Crosse political science prof. Dr. Anthony Chergosky in studio. Spent a big part of the show breaking down some very important stories over someone stealing $1.5 million with of chicken wings from a school district, how one Chick-fil-A restaurant had to be torn down because it was too busy and a 22-year-old coach impersonating their 13-year-old JV player and dominating in a game. We also got Chergosky’s take on Gov. Tony Ever’s State of the State address and whether political parties need credit for the proposals put out there by the governor. We also talked about decorum within the State of the Union address by Joe Biden and the heckling Republicans — and how the back-and-forth could be good for government. Wrapped up talking about an attack on a US House Rep. from Minnesota and the increase of these incidents since Jan. 6, 2021. 

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Common Cause Wisconsin executive director Jay Heck joins to discuss the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court race and how that could affect Wisconsin voting lines that were just drawn last year. The state Supreme Court ruled on those redrawn lines and could do so again when a new justice is elected — one that could potentially swing the court from, basically, Republican to Democrat. Wisconsin is often referred to as having the most rigged voting districts in the country. We also talked, quick about the same dilemma in Illinois, only the gerrymander is rigged the other way, as well as the solution to all this coming out of Iowa — a state that is completely controlled by Republicans. Common Cause Wisconsin is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to "been working to "hold power accountable through lobbying, litigation, and grassroots organizing." Before that conversation, however, WIZM’s Brad Williams pops in to talk quick about some of the things happening in La Crosse city and county government — including added funding for EV busses and inclusive coordinator hires — or potential hires.

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John Havlicek in studio, to talk about what's at stake in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. With the balance of the state Supreme Court on the line, Havlicek talks about how issues that could come before it may be ruled on more politically — like redistricting or the 174-year-old abortion ban in Wisconsin. Havlicek is a longtime Central High School Spanish teacher, and we began the show talking about students' attention spans now versus, essentially, before cellphones. One other topic that did come up was standard based grading, that Havlicek gave his opinion on, as the La Crosse School District discusses that change from letter grading. 

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La Crosse County Sheriff John Siegel joined for the hour. Spent a big part of the show talking about the Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols and how that resonates within his department. That also played into a conversation about the county's police study committee. Another county initiative we discussed, was free phone calls for jail inmates, and where we're at with that being enacted. Capped off the show talking about drug overdose deaths in the county and how the Sheriff's Office is dealing with those drugs on multiple fronts. Opened things up, though, talking about Siegel's first month on the job and how his three children are doing — one playing DI college football, another shooting 3s in the Special Olympics and a third at UW-Green Bay.

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