La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Candice Tlustosch in studio discussing her run for judge in La Crosse County.  Tlustosch, an attorney out of La Crosse, talks about the big issues she sees in the courts, what could be improved and how her experience makes her the right fit for Circuit Court Branch 3. Of course, we start the show with some nonsense and what lawyer-like TV shows are the best and worst, and her answer may or may not...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio discussing the Wisconsin state Legislature being out of session the next 10 months, a look at the most famous person in La Crosse County, and the nonpartisan judge race. Began the show with the legislative calendar and how Wisconsin’s full-time state Legislature is taking the final 10 months of the year off.  The Assembly’s...

La Crosse County administrator, Jane Klekamp, in studio discussing the new civilian review board of law enforcement, a bit of an update on the city-county homeless project, Pathways Home and details on the county board strategic plan. Began the show, however, talking a bit about the spring elections, how every board member is up for election but also how the board works with the county administrat...

Two topics merged into one with Wisconsin’s billions in budget surplus and how schools get funded, as the La Crosse School Board this week voted to go back to a referendum for a new school. Helping us navigate the two topics on La Crosse Talk PM is UW-Oshkosh Public Administration professor, Dr. Mike Ford. We began the show having a bit of fun about why Ford last joined the show — if you recall th...

Democratic Party chair of La Crosse County and Wisconsin’s 3rd US House District, William Garcia in studio, reminiscing about Spaceballs, after news of new Russian space tech, the GOP rolling back child labor laws in the state and if he wants Gov. Tony Evers to pass his maps. Began the show talking about some potential new Russian space tech that could take out satellites, which got us talking abo...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio on the multiple angles how new voting maps plays out in Wisconsin, Donald Trump ordered to pay another $355 million and how partisan politics keeps trickling into local elections. The whole show kind of centers around power in politics. Began with Trump in that regard, as he loses another lawsuit . Trump’s argument is somet...

If no politician is completely happy and the fringes of both parties are mad, then it’s probably a good deal. That sums up what Common Cause Wisconsin’s Jay Heck said Wednesday on La Crosse Talk PM, explaining the play by Republicans, who control the Legislature, to willingly pass Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ voting maps.  Heck also discusses why Republicans went this route, instead of rolling the...

National Weather Service La Crosse meteorologist Todd Shea in the studio discussing the ever-more common weird weather, a first-ever February tornado, no snow and how the job has changed. Shea has been doing weather in La Crosse since 1995 but he's been in the business since 1988. Part of what we talked about is the job itself, are there more or less people interested in the profession and how the...

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings in the WIZM studio Monday for La Crosse Talk PM, discussing new voting maps, ranked-choice voting, La Crosse Hometown Heroes being honored in Madison and bills she’s got hearings on.  Began the show talking a bit about winter tourism, with Wisconsin not having a winter.  After that (5:10), we discussed ranked-choice voting a bit, as it’s both getting a b...

La Crosse County Judge Mark Huesmann in studio discussing treatment courts, mental health, bonding out of jail and just what exactly a judge does.  We also talked about the drug problem in the county, the makeup of the court system and a veterans court that Huesmann helped create. Huesmann is running for reelection for the Circuit Court Branch 3 seat he currently holds. He was appointed by Wiscons...

Political scientists, Marquette’s Dr. Charles Franklin and UW-La Crosse’s Dr. Anthony Chergosky, join Friday's La Crosse Talk PM to break down the latest Marquette Law School Poll , where we find Wisconsin voters don’t like any of the candidates, love marijuana and Nikki Haley would win the whole thing in a landslide. Franklin is, what we call, the architect of the Marquette poll, which is one of...

Onalaska native and North Carolina shooting guard Lexi Donarski joined to talk the rise of women’s sports and guarding the most popular athlete in the U.S., Caitlin Clark, and getting ready for Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Duke-North Carolina rivalry. After that WIZM’s Brad Williams talks about the new plan for the La Crosse School District.  With Donarski (2:15), we dive into how she’s lived th...

A healthy conversation on what to eat and when to eat it Tuesday on La Crosse Talk PM with the YMCA’s Dr. Gretchen Newhouse and Laurie Nelson. The two will be hosting a pair of nutrition workshops at the La Crosse Y on Thursday at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. ( sign up here ). And, no, they won’t teaching you how to pig out during the Super Bowl. The workshop will focus on the “timing of food” — when you sh...

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in studio discussing pickleball and beer — which is sort of on the council agenda — bringing developers into the city — as all those vacant box stores are filling up — and approving accessory dwelling units. We began the show, however, asking Reynolds who he thinks the most popular athlete in the U.S. is right now, a few days from the Super Bowl. After that (5:30), w...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Anthony Chergosky, Ph. D., in the WIZM studio, discussing how Republicans perfectly rigged new voting maps and Democrats screwed up the process, plus all the Taylor Swift political phenomenon and Democrat Dean Phillips getting on the Wisconsin presidential ballot. Began the show with the Friday news dump from the Wisconsin Supreme Court, allowing Minnesota...

Shaundel Spivey in studio, discussing the evolution and programs run by B.L.A.C.K., Inc. , He’s the co-founder and executive director of the La Crosse-based nonprofit. We also talked about the La Crosse School Board and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion fight in Madison and beyond. Spivey is a Milwaukee native who moved here to attend UW-La Crosse, where he got his Bachelor’s in political scienc...

Joella Striebel, the public affairs regional coordinator for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, in studio on reproductive health, how to talk about it, a sex education bill, the abortion debate and free condoms. Striebel, last week, organized a Gov. Tony Evers’ roundtable discussion with UW-Eau Clarie students last week. So Striebel recapped some of the things Evers discussed and what stud...

La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron in studio discussing some of their priorities, what police in the city are dealing with the most lately, some of the recent shootings and the prevalence of guns. We wrapped up with talk on more roundabouts here, plus changing back the speed liming on Losey Boulevard. Began the show talking about police priorities, and some of the things they’re dealing with the...

City council members Mackenzie Mindel and Mac Kiel in studio, ahead of committee week, where they'll be discussing accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules. We also talked chickens, selling Lincoln Middle School and a homeless update. Mindel and Kiel are both on the city’s Judiciary and Administration committee , which meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Began the show with a quick rundown, but did talk about chi...

Threw UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, two strategies both Donald Trump and Wisconsin Republicans should have or, perhaps, still could take heading into the 2024 election.  Spent quite a bit of time on federal politics, including Donald Trump having to  pay $83 million in a defamation lawsuit — what was deemed on the show as “Hush up” money, as opposed to the hush m...

Citizen Action of Wisconsin executive director Robert Kraig joined to discuss some of the details on Republicans’ fast-tracked effort to pass what they call Gov. Tony Evers’ maps, plus how they’re trying to put a binding referendum on ballot for a new abortion ban. Began the show just setting up the interview on both issues, as well as talking quick about  President Joe Biden in Superior, Wis. , c...

La Crosse Schools superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, joins to talk about the news that the district sold Lincoln Middle School, what that deal encompasses and future building plans the school board is in the midst of discussing. Began the show, however, talking about escalating world conflict, as Engel is a Lt. Col. in the National Guard — for 20 years — and battalion commander. So we talked a bit a...

Habitat’s Kahya Fox in studio to discuss housing, including the city-county homeless plan and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which is back on La Crosse agenda’s next week.  Two weeks ago, a five-year homeless plan was unveiled called Pathways Home, where the city and county have taken a leadership role, bringing in other related groups to help get to what’s called Functional Zero. Fox and hersel...

Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff in studio discussing the peculiar timing of a vote in the Legislature for the “Iowa model” of drawing voting maps. We also took a ton of calls on budget surplus, government priorities, and Pfaff proposals that aren’t getting committee hearings. Began the show, though, talking about legislation Pfaff helped get passed renaming a portion of I-90 the “Ho-Chunk World Wa...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio with a wild show that began intermixing potholes, rat burials and the 2011 Oktoberfest squirrel toss. Then we got into some politics, including US House Rep. Derrick Van Orden upset and voting against the partial government funding bill, saying it's just kicking the can down the road. But what does it mean to "kick the can?...