Battleground Wisconsin
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
Episodes
July 17, 2025 • 48 mins
We discuss quadriplegic Carl Schulze’s epic 92 mile ride to the Capitol in Madison in his wheelchair to protest Medicaid cuts and support increases to caregiver wages. His individual act of protest helps keep the pressure on elected officials who are failing to meet the moment. We continue our analysis of the recently completed State Budget, analyzing its shortcomings on public education, child care, corrections, and health care. ...
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July 10, 2025 • 58 mins
We discuss the tragic, climate change fueled Texas floods and the perils of gutting the government. Wisconsin congressman Derrick Van Orden who is still hiding from his constituents claimed credit for Wisconsin’s extra Medicaid dollars after voting to cut the healthcare program, prompting Congressman Mark Pocan to compare him to an arsonist who gives advice to his victims.
We continue our autopsy of the recently signed state budge...
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July 3, 2025 • 52 mins
We record the morning after the state budget deal was signed by Governor Evers in the wee hours of the night. We do a full budget postmortem with State Representative Francesca Hong and Heather DuBois Bourenane, Executive Director of Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN). How bad was the state budget for education, health care, child care, and other top priorities? Did Democrats leave power on the table that could have been us...
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June 26, 2025 • 49 mins
With Matt on vacation this week, Robert is the solo host. On this week's episode we dig deeper into the state budget battle with three well positioned guests. First we welcome Peegy Wirtz-Olsen, the President of WEAC, to discuss the devastating consequences of proposed GOP cuts to public education and why her union and organizing groups such as Citizen Action are calling on the Governor to veto a bad budget.. Next, we are joined b...
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June 19, 2025 • 49 mins
This week we dig into the federal and state budget battles, and the question of a 3rd term for Governor Tony Evers, with special guests Dan Shafer of the Recombobulation Area and Civic Media, and Steven Webb from Planned Parenthood.
We open with a discussion of the critical importance of Juneteenth this year, as DEI is under attack by the Trump Administration, and some cities and businesses pull back from supporting local cele...
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June 12, 2025 • 50 mins
As the State Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee takes up public education funding, education advocates call for the veto of any budget from the Legislature that does not adequately fund education. Will the Governor listen to his grassroots base, and fight for a budget that meets Wisconsin’s needs, or sign a partisan budget that shortchanges the people of Wisconsin?
We encourage listeners to stop by our table at the Wisconsin Dem...
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June 6, 2025 • 48 mins
We take a deep dive into the huge breaking news that Speaker Robin Vos and Republican leaders walked away from state budget negotiations with Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday. Ratcheting up the battle, Republicans taunted the Governor by predicting he would sign a partisan budget that under funds his priorities. We talk about how this decision provides a new opportunity for Evers to re-engage the public about what is at stake in th...
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May 29, 2025 • 49 mins
We debrief the historic Capitol Day of Action this Tuesday which called on the Governor to veto any budget that does not meet basic standards. It was organized by Citizen Action Wisconsin in partnership with Wisconsin Public Education Network, and WISDOM; and co-sponsored by: Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), AFT-Wisconsin, WECAN, Progress North, Madison Teachers Inc, Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, Green Ba...
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May 15, 2025 • 49 mins
We welcome Citizen Action member and child care provider Julia Bennker back to the show to discuss this week’s “strike” and actions at the Capitol by child care providers demanding the Legislature restore $480 million in funding. We hear first hand how the Legislature is failing parents and child care workers and how you can support the effort to fund child care in the state budget.
Big news this week in Congress as House Republic...
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May 8, 2025 • 49 mins
We discuss breaking news in the fight to save Medicaid this week as House Speaker Mike Johnson rules out cutting the federal match to states for Medicaid Expansion states. This is huge for Governor Tony Evers’ plan to accept federal money to expand BadgerCare in the state budget. We renew our call for the Governor to publicly declare that he will veto any state budget that fails to expand BadgerCare. Despite the victory in Congress...
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May 1, 2025 • 45 mins
At the top we celebrate the decades of permanent community organizing of Voces de la Frontera that makes May Day so powerful in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. This annual celebration of multiracial democracy has helped prepare us to meet the moment in these times of Trump.
Next, we update the latest in the fight to protect Medicaid from slashing cuts to pay for tax giveaways to the rich, including a new report demonstrating how cuts t...
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April 24, 2025 • 50 mins
Robert Kraig begins the program with observations on Donald Trump's assault on democratic institutions . Some major institutions, such as elite universities, major law firms, and corporate media companies, have tried to cut deals while others have stood their ground. Those that have capitulated have found that giving in only results in more outrageous demands. On the Battleground Wisconsin Podcast this week our theme is the moral ...
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April 17, 2025 • 50 mins
The boss of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce (MMAC) says 99% of business leaders are “afraid to speak out” against Trump. We discuss why these big business cowards take no responsibility for the neo fascist political party they have supported and financed for their own benefit.
While the corporate elites cower, a Federal judge blocked the deportation of UW-Madison engineering students, one of the first victorie...
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April 10, 2025 • 49 mins
We welcome back to the show Tobita Chow to discuss how Trump’s 125%+ tariff on China fits into the escalating spiral of dangerous conflict between the United States and China. We review the main currents of thought within the current administration and potential outcomes. Is Trump setting up an inevitable military conflict with China?
Robert reviews the top Trump impacts on Wisconsin this week, including revoking student visas for...
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April 2, 2025 • 49 mins
Why does Senator Cory Booker’s filibuster this week matter and how is it connected to the Wisconsin election this Tuesday?
We take a deep dive in the epic State Supreme Court election that saw a landslide win for Citizen Action endorsed Susan Crawford. The victory was essential to the future of the state with the balance of the court at stake. However, we discuss our concern with the current playbook that clearly can deliver prog...
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March 27, 2025 • 52 mins
It’s time to get out the vote in Wisconsin for the Spring Election. We review news that the state supreme court race will shatter all spending records for the prized judicial seat that will determine control of the state' highest court. We discuss the critical importance of talking directly to potential voters the final 4 days and encourage our listeners to volunteer with Citizen Action on phones or doors. RSVP to talk to voters.
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March 19, 2025 • 52 mins
Can Congress get away with taking away health care from millions to fund huge tax cuts for the rich? We preview Medicaid Town Halls in Wausau, La Crosse and Eau Claire that will help organize resistance to proposed slashing cuts to Medicaid. Meanwhile, Rep. Van Orden continued to hunker down in his basement bunker, holding a virtual town hall where he can avoid answering tough questions after misleading his own constituents about M...
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March 13, 2025 • 60 mins
Wisconsin Republican members of Congress are running scared from Medicaid cuts and the cowards are starting to do virtual town halls from bunkers, ducking open face-to-face dialogue with their own constituents. So much for the House of Representatives as the government closest to the people. Meanwhile House Republicans left Washington with no budget deal for a St. Patrick’s Day vacation (we didn’t know that was a thing), likely for...
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March 6, 2025 • 58 mins
This week Citizen Action hosted a major news conference at the State Capitol with Legislative allies and Citizen Action members from around the state to unveil the Climate Accountability Act. The bill, which is already rapidly winning co-sponsors, requires the Legislature to pass a concrete and enforceable plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Following the media event, Citizen Action members fanned out across the C...
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February 27, 2025 • 52 mins
This week the plundering of Medicaid commenced, as Trump, Musk, and their dutiful Republican Party “leaders” in Congress and the Wisconsin Legislature started their assault – all to fund more outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy. Citizen Action Healthcare Action Coordinator Timothy Faust joins us to give us the details on what passed in Congress this week, how it is just the beginning of the fight, and how we are going on the offens...
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