Podcast
Battleground Wisconsin
Hosted by Brian Wooldridge · EN
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
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Don’t you let that deal go down
1w ago00:49:50Tap to summarizeWe discuss the failed State Budget surplus deal that left few happy, under cut the next Governor, and left most wondering who asked for it? What does the deal say about Evers’ relationship with fellow Democrats? Is the divide really just a crystallization of what is at stake in this November’s election? New education research underscores the importance of resources for our public schools to succeed. Wisconsin slid to 33rd in math and 30th in reading (out of 38 states evaluated) in sobering new research. Most importantly, the Education Scorecard found post-pandemic recovery achievement in the highest-poverty districts was largely driven by the federal pandemic relief funding. Without that relief, according to the study, the average high-poverty district would have remained at its 2022 level of achievement. In other news, ultra-MAGA Congressman Derrick Van Ordin again loudly denies cutting Medicaid, making him a Liar’s liar. We close with speculations on what kind of gerrymandering Wisconsin will undertake in 2027, if there is a trifecta, to counter the outright theft of Congressional seats by Trump, SCOTUS, and red state governors. We encourage our listeners to attend a $20 Living Wage Town Hall May 21, 6pm, in Racine at the Racine Education Association. (We recorded the podcast before the 18-15 failed vote in the Senate.)
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Organizing Worker Power & Political Expectations
2w ago00:52:50Tap to summarizeWe welcome Peter Rickman, president of the Milwaukee Service and Hospitality Union (MASH) to discuss the union’s big organizing victory this week at Landmark Theater in Milwaukee, the rapid growth of the union, and the union's commitment to the Living Wage Coalition pushing for a $20 minimum wage bill. We take a dive into new national polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation showing health care cost is a dominant election issue in 2026, even for Republicans and treasured independent and swing voters. Seventy-two percent of Democrats, 63% of independents and 47% of Republicans said the cost of healthcare will have a major impact on which party’s candidate they will support. Robert updates us on the continued fight for a BadgerCare Public Option and the grassroots leaders and legislative champions making it happen. We also highlight the dysfunction of our health care system, as evidenced by news this week that Ascension Wisconsin now has tele-ICUs at some hospitals… that’s right, no ICU doctors on-site! We close with the scandalous news that more massive “hyperscale” data centers are coming to Wisconsin, according to the head of WEC (the parent company of WE Energies and WPS), who arrogantly bragged at a recent shareholders meeting about the boon it will be to their windfall profits. This is only happening because Wisconsin state political leaders green lighted data center development with huge tax giveaways ($2 billion and counting) while failing to pass any guardrails to protect the climate, rate payers, and public health.
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May Day 2026
3w ago00:54:10Tap to summarizeA packed U.S. Supreme Court guts what is left of the Voting Rights Act while cynically claiming not to overturn it. We delve into the the implications for civil rights and for the 2026 and 2028 elections We welcome Christine Neuman Ortiz, the Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera to discuss their huge May Day marches and rallies in Milwaukee and Madison. Christine educates our listeners on the federal and state agenda for immigrant rights and urges everyone to attend one of the May Day events. Attend a May Day Strong event near you Robert reviews a wild week in A.I. data center news, including: (1) the Public Service Commission makes major changes to the We Energies proposed rates for data centers; (2) Wisconsin data center tax break to cost the state more than $2 billion in lost revenue; and (3) a new Marquette national poll shows the same public opposition to data centers it has found in state polling. Meanwhile on the health care cost crisis, Citizen Action and allies continue with well attended Health Care Town Halls, this week in Wisconsin's Northern Tier in Superior and Ashland. Robert explains why politicians saying it is no longer possible for Wisconsin to expand Medicaid or enact a BadgerCare Public Option miss the mark. Global warming sparks surge in tick bites, lymes disease, in Wisconsin. Robert provides us with the latest tick report for hikers and campers for the outdoor season. We close with more on the “electability” debate in the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, as a new “leaked” memo from Tiffany consultants touts the electoral strengths of Francesca Hong. Is their claim that Hong’s populist appeal could supercharge Democratic turnout and cut into the GOP rural base mere subterfuge to aid a less electable opponent, or a compelling indictment of the conventional wisdom of the Democratic consultant class?
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Electability Trap
4w ago00:46:53Tap to summarizeWe discuss the death of long-time Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel political reporter Daniel Bice and reflect on his unique combination of skilled writing, muckraking journalism, and even-handedness, and the respect he engendered from the politicians and political actors he exposed. Dan's passing also forces us to take stock on the dying newspaper industry that was once so central to Wisconsin politics. The inevitable debate over “electability” emerged this week in the Democratic governor primary election when candidate Sara Rodriguez questioned the electability of the other Democratic candidates who are polling well ahead of her. We dive into the debate and its perils. We lament the dissolution of the Hustisford school district after another failed referendum to make up for inadequate state funding and expose new research revealing among the highest racial disparities in the U.S. in Wisconsin's incarceration rates. We blast news that UnitedHealth boosted their 2026 earnings after increasing prices, proving monopolized health insurance is doing well denying care and overcharing for coverage, all made possible and encouraged by bi-partisan policy choices. Wisconsin toothless regulators, the Public Service Commission, to decide on We Energies' data center electric rates and workers at two Rogers mental health clinics elect union by large majorities, despite a sleazy union busting campaign from the employer.
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Battleground Wisconsin Podcast Special Edition: Governor's Candidate Forum
Apr 1601:48:51Tap to summarizeListen 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.
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Election Day Ceasefire?
Apr 900:45:21Tap to summarizeWe 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.
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Voting and organizing the Wisconsin we need
Apr 200:49:32Tap to summarizeIn 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.
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Everyone's an election pundit
Mar 2600:50:09Tap to summarizeWe 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.
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Always Organizing
Mar 1900:55:02Tap to summarizeWe 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.
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Public money for NIL, as public schools make cuts
Mar 1200:50:03Tap to summarizeWe 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.
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