Battleground Wisconsin

Happy Labor Day Weekend Wisconsin! Our panel discusses the vital role labor unions play in creating democratic workplaces, real economic opportunity, and access to the middle class. We reflect on the devastation in Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and the role climate change and bad public policy played in it’s creation. Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters (WLCV) organizer Matt Dannenbe...

We take a sneak peak at the developing 2018 governor's race. We discuss how issues like the Foxconn giveaway will shape the political environment and test candidates. Robert updates us on on the growing public opposition to the Foxconn deal, including 3 news events held by Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative in Eau Claire, Wausau, and Appleton. Jorna reviews Paul Ryan’s fake town hall with CNN t...

We welcome one of the legislative champions in the fight to stop the Foxconn heist, State Representative Amanda Stuck. Stuck's courage to speak out during the Assembly committee hearing on Foxconn helped spark a public groundswell against Scott Walker's disastrous plan for corporate welfare on an unprecedented scale. Call your State Senator today at 1-800-362-9472. We also discuss the murderous ra...

We do a deep dive into the environmental trap that will be set if Scott Walker's Foxconn swindle is approved. We welcome Kerry Schumann, executive director of the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters and Raj Shukla, executive director of The River Alliance of Wisconsin, to discuss the gutting of environmental standards for the benefit of one multinational corporation. We also look at the develo...

We welcome state representative Jonathan Brostoff to talk about his early opposition to the $3 billion plus Foxconn plan that is currently being rushed through the Assembly. We analyze the political dynamic that will likely result from a number of Democrats supporting the Foxconn deal and what investments progressive champions should support to create real economic opportunity throughout the state...

We dive into the slim details surrounding Trump and Walker’s $3 billion bribe to Foxconn to build a display panel plant in Wisconsin that could employ 3,000 - 13,000 workers (if you believe Foxconn). We review the latest on Senate GOP’s bizarre legislative effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act through a so-called “skinny” repeal. We are joined by Healthcare For All Organizing Cooperative member...

We discuss whether the health care repeal crisis or the Russian scandal are diverting too much attention from other Trumpian threats and dig deeper into the next steps in the health care fight. Anna Dvorak, organizer for the Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative, joins the panel to update listeners on the movement for fair elections that is sweeping the state. Mike Crute, of the Devil's Advocates...

Much like Dr. Suess’ Zaxs, GOP leaders who control all levers of power in DC & Madison are puffing their chests up with pride but failing to repeal health care or approve a state budget. We discuss the Senate healthcare bill 2.0 that GOP leaders are hoping to pass next week without the CBO score they promised. The panel reviews the GOP stalemate in Madison over the state budget and explores the op...

This week Robert Kraig and special guest State Senator Chris Larson discuss the health care impasse in Washington and the innovative state bill announced this week by Legislative Democracts to open BadgerCare to everyone in Wisconsin as a public option. They also discuss the bizarre Republican maneuver in the State Assembly on a bill to outlaw health insurance lifetime and annual limits. Does it s...

We review the failed Senate Republican effort this week to hold a vote on their draconian healthcare bill. President Trump was optimistic saying, “healthcare is working along very well. We could have a big surprise with a great healthcare package... A great, great surprise.” Jorna highlights Sen. Johnson’s disturbing comment comparing people with preexisting conditions to someone who has crashed t...

We discuss the long-awaited, secretive Senate healthcare bill that includes larger cuts to Medicaid but differs little from the “mean” House bill that cuts healthcare from million Americans to provide a large tax break to the wealthy. State Rep. Eric Genrich joins us to talk about his visionary legislation to provide BadgerCare for all through a public option. We welcome Sachin Chheda, director of...

We discuss the secrecy surrounding the Senate healthcare legislation and President Trump’s shockingly unkind words about the health care plan he forced Paul Ryan to jam through the House of Representatives.” Robert reveals interesting details of meeting between Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative members and Sen. Ron Johnson’s legislative aide regarding the difficulty Republicans face in passing...

We open the show with Sen. Ron Johnson’s very disturbing comment that he is pushing his fellow Senators to legalize insurance industry discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. We also discuss the surprising support by the Republican leading on the Opioid epidemic, Rep. John Nygren, for Gov. Walker’s shameless plan to force drug test BadgerCare recipients. We welcome new Citizen...

We dig into the dismal economic report showing Wisconsin's job growth last year was the worst since 2010 and that we are continuing to hemorrhaging manufacturing jobs. What does the new data say about Scott Walker's economic performance? Jorna educates us on a new GOP bill to restrict free speech at the UW System. We look at the NRA’s dangerous effort to allow people to carry open guns without per...

We review the new Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) findings that the House healthcare bill will result in 23 million losing their health coverage and potentially destabilize the Wisconsin health insurance market. We also look at the prospects for the House plan in the Senate. We welcome Ken Taylor, the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, to analyze President Tr...

This week the panel digs into the latest scathing audit of WEDC, Governor Walker's failed jobs agency. The audit finds that WEDC cannot even track the number of jobs it allegedly created, has over $11 million in delinquent loans, and to top it all off spent over $41,000 on chauffeurs. The panel also discussed the new GOP anti-riot bill, the apparent appointment of extreme right-wing Milwaukee Coun...

We welcome the Center for Media and Democracy’s Deputy Director, Mary Bottari to discuss their extensive investigation into the Bradley Foundation’s “weaponized philanthropy.” New recently released information reveals in tremendous detail how the Bradley Foundation has spent hundreds of millions in tax deductible money to build a huge partisan apparatus across the country molded on what they have...

We discuss the House Republicans narrow vote on Thursday to pass their disastrous health care plan which will result in 24 million people losing their insurance and allow discrimination against people with preexisting conditions. The panel looks at what’s next for GOP health care plan in the Senate. We also have an interview with Daniel Biss, a progressive candidate for Governor of Illinois. Mr. B...

This week we have a special edition of the Battleground Wisconsin Podcast featuring exclusive interviews with 3 rising progressive leaders who have unique perspectives on how to build the political power to achieve the full promise of American life. The interviews were recorded this week in Washington, D.C. at the People’s Action Founding Convention. The interviews include: (1) Van Jones, a global...

We welcome guest panelist Anna Dvorak to review another busy political week in Wisconsin. We cover Trump’s visit to Kenosha, Sen. Ron Johnson’s debate with high school students, Gov. Walker’s Medicaid waiver that allows drug testing and raises costs, and the push by conservatives in the legislature to end abortion coverage for state employees. We also focus on the crazy anti-government outburst fr...

In a media call this morning Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, and substance use disorder experts Dr Richard Brown and Jesse Heffernan raised concerns about Gov. Scott Walker proposed Medicaid waiver seeking permission from the Trump Administration to make a series of changes in the state’s BadgerCare program.

President Trump threatened to sabotage the Affordable Care Act this week, showing his willingness to play politics with the lives of the American people. We discuss what this act of political terror portends for the GOP’s ability to pass a disastrous healthcare bill. We talk about the continued ducking of public town halls by Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Paul Ryan, while other members of Congress, li...

We welcome sunny weather with a debrief of this week’s spring general election in Wisconsin, which included a big victory for State School Superintendent Tony Evers and a number of progressive women candidates. It appears President Trump, Paul Ryan, and House Republicans have failed to resuscitate their disastrous healthcare bill before the April recess while Gov. Walker is pushing a punitive plan...

We conduct an autopsy of RyanCare while looking ahead to emerging threats and opportunities in the battle for the future of health care in America. The panel speculates on the future of Paul Ryan in the aftermath of his healthcare debacle. We discuss Trump’s dangerous executive order reneging on our international obligations to fight climate change. We welcome the Executive Director of the League...

We discuss the failed push by Donald Trump and Paul Ryan to force through a dangerous “healthcare” plan that will take health coverage away from 24 million Americans. We dig into the shocking last minute changes Ryan made after pulling the vote on Thursday in a disparate attempt to appease right-wing conservatives. We also speculate as to the next steps in the fight now that Trump and Ryan have su...