Battleground Wisconsin

Brian Wooldridge
  • 4.2 (45)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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

  1. Battleground Wisconsin Podcast Special Edition: Governor's Candidate Forum

    1D AGO

    Battleground Wisconsin Podcast Special Edition: Governor's Candidate Forum

    Listen to Citizen Action of Wisconsin's Governor Candidate Forum, featuring the 7 leading Democratic candidates. Before the debate, Citizen Action's executive Director, Robert Kraig discusses why the forum is so important for you to listen to and previews highlights from the forum.

    1h 49m
  2. Election Day Ceasefire?

    APR 9

    Election Day Ceasefire?

    We reflect on Trump's flirtation with Armegeddon in Iran and the unstable ceasefire announced on Election Day. We review this week’s Spring General Election that resulted in a romb for liberal Chris Taylor, leaving the state Supreme Court with 5-2 center-left majority. Turnout was down but still strong for a state court race. We discuss our top election takeaways. We talk about the story behind over 70 school referendums and the Menomonie mayor. We encourage our listeners to RSVP to Citizen Action’s virtual Governor candidate forum next Tuesday, April 14th at 6pm. Hear directly from 7 Democratic candidates for governor. RSVP by April 13th to attend. We close with a review of Trump’s attack on cheap, reliable renewable energy that Clean Wisconsin says will cost Wisconsin more clean energy than peak demand for an entire year.

    45 min
  3. Voting and organizing the Wisconsin we need

    APR 2

    Voting and organizing the Wisconsin we need

    In the final stretch run toward election day Tuesday, April 7th, we have a deeper discussion on why Chris Taylor will be a great Supreme Court Justice. We autopse Trump’s terrible week, including: the war in Iran, the attack on voting by mail, and SCOTUS oral arguments on Trump’s illegal attack on birthright citizenship. We debrief successful No Kings rallies. There is a tidal wave of economic populism sweeping the country with labor with progressive organizing groups leading efforts that are advancing bills to tax the wealthy and corporations to fund priorities like public schools, healthcare and childcare. Is Wisconsin prepared to lead? We look the increasing prominence of child care in the governor's race for clues. We Energies proposes yet another massive rate increase, a proposed 14% rate increase on top of what are already the 3rd highest prices in the Midwest. The rate increases do not take into account long term commitments to new energy for data centers where ratepayers are responsible if the data centers leave during the life of the new energy infrastructure. We continue our discussion of the data center invasion in Wisconsin, including a virtual town hall Citizen Action held this week to organize people across Wisconsin to lead us toward solutions. The Legislature gave itself a 10 month vacation to reelect themselves without doing anything to create guardrails for data centers.

    50 min
  4. Everyone's an election pundit

    MAR 26

    Everyone's an election pundit

    We revisit the Iran War escalation and review the current Department of Homeland Security shutdown snarling airports as Trump shoots down every legislative deal to fund TSA, holding for his SAVE TRUMP (voter suppression) Act. With the Democratic Primary for Governor still wide open, some voters are trying to pick the most viable candidate based on personality or profile, as Ruth Conniff reports in the Wisconsin Examiner. We unpack why Democratic leaders and activists fall into acting like pundits rather than picking the candidate with the clearest most compelling solutions to the state’s many pressing issues. We discuss the latest MU Law Poll, where Judge Chris Taylor is leading the April 7th Supreme Court election with 30% to 22% for Lazar. The poll also reveals much greater voter enthusiasm for voting than Republicans and Independents. We also speculate on the poll's latest finding in the Wisconsin Democratic Primary for Governor. RSVP to Citizen Action’s Governor Candidate Forum, Tuesday, April 14th, 6pm.

    50 min
  5. Always Organizing

    MAR 19

    Always Organizing

    We open with a discussion of this week's Trump Regime lowlights, including the dangerous Iran war escalation and Brad Schimel not leaving his U.S. Attorney's post despite being vetoed by Tammy Baldwin and fired by a federal district court. One silver lining in Wisconsin, after Robin Vos removed his block, Governor Tony Evers is finally able to sign into law the long overdue expansion of post partum Medicaid. We welcome former state representative Sandy Pasch to highlight a dangerous bill on the Governor's desk that conflates legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. The bill passed the Legislature and will be law unless it is vetoed by Governor Evers. Sandy details why the bill is so dangerous and asks everyone who cares about free speech to call Governor Evers today to demand a veto. Mark Rice, from WISDOM, joins us to celebrate a legislative victory for incarcerated people and their loved ones in Wisconsin. The bill provides access to healthcare for incarcerated people with substance use disorders through a Medicaid extension that would also cover general health care needs. We close with a discussion of the Legislature’s “last spasm” of activity, including Representative Cruz and Phelps’ public school proposal to use half of the remaining state budget surplus for funding public schools. Speaker Vos decries lack of Senate action on the GOP data center bill, warning it will cost the Republicans seats in the Legislature this November. Regardless, the impact is to leave the data center boom largely unregulated. We close this week's episode with a critical question for democracy: Will Trump succeed in coercing Republicans into ending the filibuster to enact his election theft plan (SAVE "Trump"Act) through the U.S. Senate.

    55 min
  6. Public money for NIL, as public schools make cuts

    MAR 12

    Public money for NIL, as public schools make cuts

    We discuss the growing opposition to the Iran War and new data revealing the war cost $11 billion in the first week. A coalition of antiwar groups launched a national campaign on Wednesday calling for Representative Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer to step down from their positions as minority leaders. We discuss news from the judiciary this week: conservative State Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler is not to run for a new term to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2027 and Brad Schimel is blocked by Tammy Baldwin from continuing as U.S. attorney in Milwaukee. We welcome Kristie Tweed, Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s statewide Healthcare Coordinator to discuss the BadgerCare Public Option bills’ legislative roll out last week and plans for the next month, as grassroots leaders push for more lawmakers to co-sponsor the legislation. Krisite tells us about how you can get involved in the upcoming events in Cashton, Appleton, Milwaukee, and Wausau and she provides an update on the bill’s growing co-sponsorship list. The Legislature was sued by Law Forward over its billing of private attorney fees to the public. "Wisconsin taxpayers deserve to know their money is being spent lawfully to advance a valid public purpose." Milwaukee Public Schools announced they will be forced by state underfunding to slash 260 staff, as MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius stressed that MPS faces rising costs while receiving a $0 state increase in general aid due to the last disastrous state budget deal. As Wisconsin public school districts make cuts, the UW Athletic Department is coming to the Legislature with hat in hand looking for taxpayers to fund millions to support the UW’s NIL program to pay college athletes in football and basketball.

    50 min
  7. Fighting authoritarians with healthcare

    MAR 5

    Fighting authoritarians with healthcare

    After a brief discussion of Trump and Netanyahu’s war with Iran, we turn to defeating authoritarianism by fighting for policies that help people with their most pressing priorities, like good paying jobs, well funded public schools, healthcare and childcare. We discuss the introduction of new legislation for a BadgerCare Public Option, which represents the most comprehensive healthcare affordability proposal introduced in Wisconsin this session. The legislation would open Wisconsin’s trusted BadgerCare program to anyone who lacks adequate employer-sponsored coverage. Citizen Action announces a statewide virtual town hall with all the Democratic Governor candidates, Tuesday, April 14th 6pm. We bring attention to Legislative Republicans taking a chunk out of Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI’s) already approved funding over debunked allegations that they paid for a junket in the Dells. What kind of budget deal allows the Republicans to unilaterally veto agreed funding levels after ignoring the results of their own investigation? We lament the expiration of the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Program due to GOP opposition following a large land purchase to extend the Ice Age Trail in Devils Lake area. And, as the Legislature may do nothing to regulate data centers – as Big Tech and utilities want – local people fight back, as a Judge allows a Port Washington referendum to continue. Finally, what is the division between Governor Evers and Legislative Democrats on gerrymandering? Will Vos reach another damaging deal with Evers before they both head off into the sunset?

    52 min
  8. Vos retires

    FEB 26

    Vos retires

    We discuss the retirement of Speaker Robin Vos after a decade of ruthless control of the Legislature. Vos was the most powerful and successful state politician since Scott Walker, and one of the most infuential Assembly Speakers ever. The 2026 election is upon us and Citizen Action is announcing our endorsement of Judge Chris Taylor for state Supreme Court. This week the new $20 Wage Bill was introduced in the Legislature with a big media event at the Capitol. We review the new MU Law Poll. We take a deeper dive into what the poll tells us about the race for governor, and where voters stand on data centers, health care, and the cost of living. We welcome Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) leader Heather DuBois Bourenane to discuss Public Schools Week and a new lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s chronic underfunding of public schools. The lawsuit was filed by teachers, parents, students, and WPEN by Law Forward. We encourage our listeners to attend a Capitol Rotunda rally this Friday (Feb. 27th) at noon.

    50 min
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4.2
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Wooldridge
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2026
  • Episodes
    507
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Battleground Wisconsin

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