In this week’s Capitol Chats episode, Wisconsin Policy Forum VP and Research Director Jason Stein weighs in on the Universities of Wisconsin's budget challenges. Stein raises concerns that the state has reduced the capacity for universities to serve the labor market and discusses the closures of two-year campuses over the past few years.

In this week’s Capitol Chats episode, Angela Lang, executive director of Milwaukee-based Black Leaders Organizing for Communities weighs in on Milwaukee and Black and Brown voters' importance in the 2024 election. Lang also shares her thoughts on what President Joe Biden could do to appeal to Black voters.

In this week’s Capitol Chats episode, Rick Abrams, CEO of the Wisconsin Health Care Association and Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living (WHCA/WiCAL) shares concerns about Wisconsin’s nursing homes’ ability to meet new minimum staffing standards in the midst of a worker shortage.

In this week’s Capitol Chats episode, Forward Analytics Director Dale Knapp says the state will need to build more housing to meet an increased need due in part to the baby boom of the mid-20th century. Knapp said some challenges are building enough housing that’s also affordable and people with a “not in my backyard” attitude toward new housing projects.

In this week's Capitol Chats podcast, Wisconsin Young Republicans Chair Kyle Schroeder says young GOP voters are enthused and ready to get behind former President Donald Trump. He also says their biggest issues right now are abortion, the economy and issues at the southern border. He also says many are disappointed with the Biden administration isn't cracking down harder on pro-Palestinian protests around the country.

In this week’s Capitol Chats episode, Wisconsin College Democrats Chair Matthew Lehner says one of the biggest misconceptions about young voters is that they won’t turn out to vote in November. He also says he shares concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza but noted there are many other issues at stake in the upcoming presidential election, such as abortion, LGBTQ+ and racial equality and climate change.

On this week's Capitol Chats podcast, Dane County Republican Party Chair Brandon Maly, 24, says Republican voters, even so-called "RINOs," will likely rally behind Trump in the November general election as long as they can clear the abortion hurdle. Maly says voters aren't pleased with how the White House is handling many current issues, especially the economy. He also says Republicans should meet younger voters where they are, instead of talking about banning TikTok.

In this week’s Capitol Chats episode, Dem strategist Joe Zepecki shares his takeaways from the April 2 presidential primary. Zepecki says he believes President Joe Biden will earn support from uninstructed voters in November. He also points out the percentage of voters who cast ballots in the GOP primary for candidates that are no longer in the race was higher than the margin of uninstructed votes in the Dem primary.

In this week's Capitol Chats: Kyle Johnson, political director for Listen to Wisconsin, says voters who checked the 'uninstructed' box this April primary want President Joe Biden to remember and listen to those who helped elect him to office.

They're protesting Biden’s policies toward Israel and Gaza. Johnson also says the movement still wants to see Biden earn a second term, but he needs to meet their demands before they can align to defeat former President Donald Trump. More than 47,000 voted uninstructed, surpassing the group's goal of 20,000.

Published on April 3, 2024.

In this week’s Capitol Chats episode, School Choice Wisconsin President Nic Kelly says new legislative maps that favor Dems could be a challenge. But he argues Dems should remember their constituents benefit from the state's private school voucher programs. Kelly also reviews the group's efforts during the legislative session.