This week Citizen Action hosted a major news conference at the State Capitol with Legislative allies and Citizen Action members from around the state to unveil the Climate Accountability Act. The bill, which is already rapidly winning co-sponsors, requires the Legislature to pass a concrete and enforceable plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Following the media event, Citizen Action members fanned out across the Capitol to visit their Representatives and State Senators and discuss state budget priorities, like expanding BadgerCare.

We unpack the latest MU Law Poll which shows a clear pathway for key priorities in Governor Evers’ state budget, if he is willing to use his stronger public popularity against a very unpopular Republican Legislature.

We review the lessons learned from the first two weeks of phone calls at Citizen Action talking directly to Spring Election voters. We also discuss the most important developments in Donald Trump”s assault on the constitutional order, including a critical 5-4 Supreme Court ruling this week that sided against President Trump over $2B in frozen foreign aid and his unhinged prime time address to a joint session of Congress.

People power at the Capitol

Wisconsin Republican members of Congress are running scared from Medicaid cuts and the cowards are starting to do virtual town halls from bunkers, ducking open face-to-face dialogue with their own constituents. So much for the House of Representatives as the government closest to the people. Meanwhile House Republicans left Washington with no budget deal for a St. Patrick’s Day vacation (we didn’t know that was a thing), likely forcing a partial government shutdown Friday. Senate Democrats do the right thing and do not allow House Republicans to extort them into signing off on a bad deal which will give Trump and Musk a free hand to continue their unconstitutional assault on the civil service.

As we are hurtling towards the critical April1st Supreme Court and Superintendent of Public Instruction elections, Crawford and Schimel debate. Was anyone listening?

We welcome Citizen Action Organizer Kristie Tweed to clue us in on upcoming Medicaid Town Halls in La Crosse, Wausau, and Eau Claire later this month. Also, Citizen Action Climate Coordinator Kat Klawes joins us to discuss the path-breaking Climate Accountability Act and how you can get involved with our organizing.

We also review the terrifying Mahmoud Khalil case, which reminds us of Red Scares and other dark moments in American history when civil rights were shredded.

Congressional cowards hiding from constituents over Medicaid cuts

Can Congress get away with taking away health care from millions to fund huge tax cuts for the rich? We preview Medicaid Town Halls in Wausau, La Crosse and Eau Claire that will help organize resistance to proposed slashing cuts to Medicaid. Meanwhile, Rep. Van Orden continued to hunker down in his basement bunker, holding a virtual town hall where he can avoid answering tough questions after misleading his own constituents about Medicaid cuts he rubber stamped in Congress. We cannot win by surrendering in advance. We continue to encourage Governor Evers to veto any budget the Legislature produces that fails to expand BadgerCare. 

The Spring Election is around the corner and Brad Schimel rehashes voter fraud conspiracies about Milwaukee that he knows are false. So much for his phony stance as a high minded judge above politics. This week the only debate in the State Superintendent of DPI election was held by WPEN and other allies. This race remains about Jill Underly’s dedicated support for improving and properly funding our public schools vs. her opponent who is a supporter of siphoning even more money to private unaccountable voucher schools.   

Robert educates us on a legal case against Greenpeace who was found liable for $645 million for Dakota Access Pipeline protests that has huge implications for the Constitutional right of free speech and protest. Will this be the beginning of a legal strategy to bankrupt progressive nonprofits to silence free speech and assembly?

We close with a soul-searching discussion with James Causey, a longtime columnist with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, on adults forcing police officers back into Milwaukee Public Schools without ever listening to the kids.

Adults not listening

It’s time to get out the vote in Wisconsin for the Spring Election. We review news that the state supreme court race will shatter all spending records for the prized judicial seat that will determine control of the state' highest court. We discuss the critical importance of talking directly to potential voters the final 4 days and encourage our listeners to volunteer with Citizen Action on phones or doors. RSVP to talk to voters.

Next week is the start of the Joint Finance Committee public hearings on the State Budget, next Wednesday in Kaukauna and Friday in West Allis. We encourage people in each area to consider attending in support of expanding BadgerCare and other state budget priorities.  

We welcome back to the show, Timothy Faust, Citizen Action’s healthcare coordinator, who just returned from a week-long tour of rural Wisconsin hosting Hands Off Medicaid Town Halls to organize opposition to Congressional Republicans proposed cuts to Medicaid. Contact Tim: Timothy.Faust@citizenactionwi.org

 

We close the show with a review of this week’s PSC public hearing on We Energies desire to build polluting gas plants. Robert educates us on why the gas plant is a bad idea.

Rural Wisconsinites fight Medicaid Cuts

Why does Senator Cory Booker’s filibuster this week matter and how is it connected to the Wisconsin election this Tuesday? 

We take a deep dive in the epic State Supreme Court election that saw a landslide win for Citizen Action endorsed Susan Crawford. The victory was essential to the future of the state with the balance of the court at stake. However, we discuss our concern with the current playbook that clearly can deliver progressive court candidate victories, but with high spending shit shows where virtually all paid communication is trashy crime and sexual predator ads that debase and erode the credibility of the court, a vital pillar of our democracy. And what about Elon?        

We review the first Joint Finance Committee public hearing on the State Budget this Wednesday and heads to West Allis’ State Fair Park this Friday. At the hearing, support for funding Medicaid and increasing public education dollars dominated public testimony. 

We welcome Milwaukee County Supervisor Anne O’Connor to discuss her support for the Milwaukee County Climate Action Plan which is up for a vote in April and her opposition to the proposed We Energies gas plants that are at odds with the County’s Climate plan goals.

Justice Crawford

We welcome back to the show Tobita Chow to discuss how Trump’s 125%+ tariff on China fits into the escalating spiral of dangerous conflict between the United States and China. We review the main currents of thought within the current administration and potential outcomes. Is Trump setting up an inevitable military conflict with China?

Robert reviews the top Trump impacts on Wisconsin this week, including revoking student visas for over two dozen UW Students for no stated reason; Executive Order targeting state renewable energy initiatives; and the Impact of Trump’s deportation frenzy in Wisconsin, including the state of fear among Wisconsin dairy workers, and the revocation of legal status for Haitian refugees who have become an important part of the community in New London.

We close with Marquette University Theology professor, Chris Gooding, who is a member of the academic staff’s union organizing committee. Marquette continues to refuse to recognize the faculty union. The members are planning a protest of their new anti-union president on Monday, April 28th, 10 am in front of the Al Center on the university’s campus.

The escalatory spiral with China

The boss of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce (MMAC) says 99% of business leaders are “afraid to speak out” against Trump. We discuss why these big business cowards take no responsibility for the neo fascist political party they have supported and financed for their own benefit. 


While the corporate elites cower, a Federal judge blocked the deportation of UW-Madison engineering students, one of the first victories against mass deportation of international students. The Milwaukee County Board moved to safeguard due process rights after the ICE arrest at Milwaukee County Courthouse. But one conservative County Supervisors abstains, fearing reprisals from the Trump regime.


As utility shutoff season commences in Wisconsin, we discuss the increasing concern about the future of home energy assistance, which had been disseminated by DOGE, and is so complicated only a third of those eligible in Wisconsin enroll. We preview state legislation being drafted to enact a 2% of income cap utility bills which will be far more effective in reducing the energy burden on hard pressed households. 


We welcome State Representative Christian Phelps to discuss shameful Republican state legislation that would add many new hoops to jump through to qualify for Medicaid, forcing many to go without critical health care and long term care. The public reaction to this destructive bill prompted Republicans to put it on hold for the time being, yet another sign that the backlash against proposed national cuts to Medicaid to fund tax giveaways for the rich and the failure to enact BadgerCare Expansion are becoming third rails for the MAGA GOP.

Corporate bosses cower under Trump

Robert Kraig begins the program with observations on Donald Trump's assault on democratic institutions . Some major institutions, such as elite universities,  major law firms, and corporate media companies, have tried to cut deals while others have stood their ground. Those that have capitulated have found that giving in only results in more outrageous demands. On the Battleground Wisconsin Podcast this week our theme is the moral imperative to stand and fight at both the national and state level. First, Robert interviews Heather DuBois Bourenane, Executive Director of Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) to discuss the battle for education funding in the state budget. In their discussion, Heather and Robert conclude that the only way to get sufficient school funding and to win BadgerCare Expansion is for Governor Evers to use his veto power to stand and fight. Next, Robert interviews Citizen Action Healthcare Action Coordinator Timothy Faust on the battles for postpartum care, BadgerCare Expansion, and proposed massive cuts to Medicaid to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.

Stand and fight???

At the top we celebrate the decades of permanent community organizing of Voces de la Frontera that makes May Day so powerful in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. This annual celebration of multiracial democracy has helped prepare us to meet the moment in these times of Trump. 


Next, we update the latest in the fight to protect Medicaid from slashing cuts to pay for tax giveaways to the rich, including a new report demonstrating how cuts to Medicaid would harm patients and increase health costs in Wisconsin.


Robert gives a report on this week’s final JFC public hearings on the state budget and we preview the next steps in the process. We continue to encourage Governor Evers to  use his powerful veto to win concessions on properly funding public schools and expanding Medicaid. We hope many of our listeners will join our upcoming Capitol Lobby Day, May 27th to support our state budget organizing.


Robert closes with a run down of this week’ worst Trump fallout, including: Wisconsin joining a lawsuit on Trump’s unilateral cancellation of Americorps; the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan and its aftermath, putting Wisconsin at center of immigration fight.

May Day 2025: The power of permanent organizing

We discuss breaking news in the fight to save Medicaid this week as House Speaker Mike Johnson rules out cutting the federal match to states for Medicaid Expansion states. This is huge for Governor Tony Evers’ plan to accept federal money to expand BadgerCare in the state budget. We renew our call for the Governor to publicly declare that he will veto any state budget that fails to expand BadgerCare. Despite the victory in Congress for Medicaid Expansion, Speaker Vos and Republicans in the Joint Finance Committee deleted expanding BadgerCare from their state budget Thursday afternoon. It’s time for the Governor to fight for his budget. We urge our listeners to call Governor Tony Evers at 1 (608) 266-1212 and urge him to use his most powerful in the nation veto and publicly declare that he will veto any state budget from the Legislature that does not include proper funding for our public schools and BadgerCare expansion.

Citizen Action member and child care provider, Julia Bennker, joins us to discuss the Joint Finance Committee’s disastrous decision to remove child care funding from their state budget. Julia tells us about how child care providers are organizing a strike that will start Tuesday.

Listen to the show.

Read Citizen Action’s statement on the removal of BadgerCare Expansion from Legislative Republican’s State Budget. Citizen Action calls on Governor Tony Evers to use veto powers to leverage BadgerCare Expansion.

Attend a “Hands off Medicaid” Town Hall this week. Learn about what’s at stake for all of us, hear from our neighbors who are directly at risk, and talk about what we’re doing to fight back and how you can get involved. Questions? Contact: Timothy.Faust@citizenactionwi.org

RSVP for Milwaukee Join us for an upcoming “Hands Off Medicaid” Town Hall, Tuesday, May 13th, 6pm.

Sign up for Citizen Action’s Capitol Lobby day, Tuesday, May 27th

Time to Fight for Badgercare

Battleground Wisconsin is Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s weekly podcast that features the latest political news from the front lines in the embattled state of Wisconsin. 

The show features:
·         Robert Kraig, Executive Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin
·         Matt Brusky, Deputy Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin
.         Claire Zautke, Health Care for All Director

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