La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Adam Murphy, who we jokingly refer to as our political blowhard, joined last week, and we got into trolling on social media, the benefit of talking to both sides of the political spectrum, new Wisconsin voting maps, the not-so-productive US House, and the economy. The conversation began with how Murphy, a Democrat, who ran for US Senate in Wisconsin, likes to get the perspective of Republicans — e...

When it comes to local sporting events, things can sometimes be spoiled by just one or two fans. What can be done about it? Is it a problem that’s getting worse?  Keith Jereczek has been officiating college and high school sports in the area for over a decade. He stopped in studio to talk about those interactions from an official’s perspective, while we also brought in the WIAA Assistant Director,...

La Crosse County Administrator Jane Klekamp in the WIZM studio discussing the city-county homeless plan, an expansion of the co-responder units with police and the inter-generational care center the county is starting. After rounding all that up, we talked quick about the upcoming La Crosse County Board races, where 20 of the 30 seats are  contested races  — but no primaries. After that, we discus...

US House candidate, Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Katrina Shankland stopped in studio to discuss what her priorities would be in Congress, debating Derrick Van Orden and how marijuana could be handled federally.  Shankland is one of three Democrats running, along with Rebecca Cooke and Eric Wilson. La Crosse native Tara Johnson dropped out of the race last week. Shankland also represents the 71st...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, on La Crosse’s Tara Johnson dropping out of US House race, Wisconsin’s top Republican wants government-run healthcare, and feds clamping down on those “buckle-up” highway signs. Early in the show (5:35) got into a bit of a rant about winter weather drivers in La Crosse, which led to a story about the  feds clamping down  on those int...

City of La Crosse homeless coordinator, Brian Sampson, in studio discussing the unveiling of a city-county plan to end homelessness called "Pathways Home." Sampson talked about the situation the city is in now, some of the things he's learned in over two years as homeless coordinator, and details in the Pathways' plan for the city to get to functional zero in ending homelessness. See omnystudio.co...

La Crosse County Democratic Party chair William Garcia in studio, discussing the presidential primary that starts Monday, Hunter Biden, involvement in local elections, Wisconsin state politics and a reset in the DC Universe. Garcia is also the 3rd US House District chair. We began the show on why people might not be running in local elections. After that, some national political talk with who's le...

Dr. Tom Schlesinger, the executive director of Climate Alliance for the Common Good in studio, discussing their upcoming small business workshop in La Crosse, and why it’s beneficial both environmentally and economically to make this transition.  Climate Alliance is a La Crosse based group aimed at helping raise awareness and share solutions for individuals and organizations surrounding climate ch...

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in studio, as we discussed homelessness in the area, whether he supports ranked-choice voting and reasoning behind a lack of candidates in upcoming local elections. Began the show talking a bit about the city's snow emergency and, of course, the Packers making the playoffs. After that, it was what he's learned over the last three years about homelessness. In the bott...

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in the WIZM studio Friday for La Crosse Talk PM talking about the Republican strategy in the Iowa caucuses and why there might be a lack of candidates in local races. We began the show wasting no time diving right into the race to become the Republican nominee for president, with the Iowa caucus just 10 days out. WIZM’s Brad Williams...

Wisconsin Democratic state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle joined to talk about the potential for new voting maps next election, work the Legislature can do in 2024 and Joe Gow being fired as chancellor at UW-La Crosse. Doyle represents District 94 in the Assembly, which is one of  the only contested districts in Wisconsin — something that might not be the case in the upcoming elections. It was part of...

A lot going on at the Universities of Wisconsin, and UW-La Crosse student Janasea Hameister joined to break it all down, from Joe Gow’s firing over online videos of him having sex with his wife, to DEI being stripped by the state Legislature, plus some things you probably haven’t heard. Hameister is the managing editor at the UW-L’s Racquet Press and also a La Crosse city council member, represent...

Gundersen dietitian Laura Birkel joined La Crosse Talk PM on Tuesday to discuss the annoying “diet” no normal person can sustain, is “Ozempic” and “Wegovy” weight loss drugs too good to be true, dangerous supplements and making your New Year’s Resolutions stick. Birkel is in her eighth year as a dietitian — four with Gundersen Health System in Onalaska. We spent, again, quite a bit of time talking...

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings in studio to talk about the potential for new legislative maps, the odd fight over Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and 17-year-olds automatically tried as adults in the state. The last topic comes on the day a minor was arrested and in court for allegedly starting a fire at the Walmart in Sparta.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, joins to give us his Top 5 political stories out of Wisconsin, another Top 5 list of federal politics stories, most importantly, the Top 5 weirdest stories we've covered on this show in 2023.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spent the hour talking about the firing of UW-La Crosse chancellor, Dr. Joe Gow, essentially for posting videos of he and his wife having sex with adult film stars. Dr. Mike Ford, associate professor of public administration at UW-Oshkosh, joined to help dissect the multiple layers to the firing itself and the fight that Gow wants to have with the Universities of Wisconsin over what sounds like a...

La Crosse teachers’ union president, Jesse Martinez, joined to talk about the district’s building consolidation plan, upcoming elections, A.I. use and abuse in schools and the upcoming school board elections. Martinez is in his second year as La Crosse Education Association (the teachers’ union) president. He’s also a seventh grade science and math teacher at Logan Middle School. This is his ninth...

Common Cause Wisconsin executive director Jay Heck joins to help explain the Wisconsin Supreme Court's Friday news dump before a Christmas weekend of the biggest news in the state, that new voting maps must be drawn. We discuss why that decision was made. We also hit on the rhetoric from Republicans being both against the decision and trying to side step the entire process. Also, Heck argued in th...

Democratic US House candidate for Wisconsin’s 3rd District, Eric Wilson, stopped in the WIZM studio Wednesday for La Crosse Talk PM, as we discussed mental health, healthcare, climate and took a bunch of calls. Began the show talking about the half-marathon he just ran last weekend to help raise awareness for mental health. Next, we hit on how little the US House has done in its first year (9:45),...

La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke in studio, discussing tracing a gun used in shootings — like south side killing of 15-year-old — the La Crosse County police oversight committee, streamlining court system, contesting tickets and the hung jury in the West Salem triple-homicide. Of course, we began the show with a bit of nonsense — what cop shows Gruenke likes to watch and how TV shows...

We got Kwik Trip on to talk about its $151 million expansion but, more importantly, Ben Leibl from the company joins (18:00) to explain to us if these plans mean that they will be building more stores right next to each other. Leibl works public relations with Kwik Trip, where it was announced the company was awarded an additional $15 million in state tax credits if it hits expansion and hiring ma...

UW-La Crosse entomologist, Dr. Barrett Klein, stops in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk PM to have some fun discussions about bugs, from his childhood ant sandwich to how grumpy bees need a nap or they won’t twerk just right. Klein, who has an infectious laugh that shows up often, has been at UW-L for 11 years in entomology — the study of insects. We began the show just bouncing around on differ...

Small business owner, economist, and La Crosse Talk PM’s official political blowhard Adam Murphy joined, as we discussed ranked-choice voting in Wisconsin, and how Republicans want to ban it, state taxes and electric vehicles. Began the show, however, ranting about how people continue to drive down, what’s called the bike track on Second Street, even though the road is literally green and painted...

Economist Adam Hoffer joined to talk about some big issues locally, including the La Crosse schools building plan, and the city council tackling short-term rentals, ADUs. But first, we talked about Wisconsin having billions in budget surplus for two years now, and how Shohei Ohtani gets a $700 million MLB contract while the state of Wisconsin pays $500 million to update the Milwaukee Brewers stadi...

Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff joins to discuss the fight between Republicans and UW over DEI, should the state have ranked-choice voting and a year in review, plus what still needs to be done.   Of course, we began the show talking about Taylor Swift? But in regards to whether the Time Person of the Year would be able to have a concert at the soon-to-be renovated Milwaukee Brewers stadium for ha...