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Battleground Wisconsin

Battleground Wisconsin

Written by: Battleground Wisconsin
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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 DirectorAll rights reserved Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Low wages and worker power

    Low wages and worker power
    Jun 4 2026
    Welcome to June, it’s Pride Month! We encourage our listeners to RSVP to Citizen Action’s Annual Meeting this Saturday, at 10am. Robert gives us the latest tick report amid national concern about tick-borne illnesses. Spurred by global warming, tick activity continues to surge in Wisconsin while the national media descends on Martha Vineyard as the island is beset by ticks, and victims are forced to avoid red meat. Trump visits Western Wisconsin, the home of Wisconsin’s pivotal Congressional District 3. Is he an anchor on embattled MAGA incumbent Derrick Van Orden and other Republicans on the ballot or does Trump know how to generate a massive turnout of MAGA voters? We dive into a critically important Wisconsin Health Assessment, a periodic report mandated by the State Legislature.Rarely do such radical findings come from an official state government report. This year’s report finds that a stunning 1 in 10 Wisconsinites skipped needed health care due to cost. The report also contains shocking revelations on low wages, the growing unaffordability of housing, massive under investment in public education (especially in low income BIPOC majority schools), and a chronic under investment in public health. Will the next legislature act on this searing indictment of status quo policies or kick the can down the road? MASH union president Peter Rickman joins us to discuss the state health assessment, building worker power, and to update us on newly scheduled $20 Wage Town Halls in Fond du Lac, Madison, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, and more locations. We close with news that Boss Vos vows to try again on the failed surplus budget deal. With Governor Evers continuing to complain about the failure of the first effort, will they get another kick at the cat?
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    50 mins
  • Tom Tiffany Embraces the Trump slush fund.

    Tom Tiffany Embraces the Trump slush fund.
    May 28 2026
    Following the tick report, we dive into a wild week for MAGA lackey Tom Tiffany who said he was open to Trump slush fund payouts to January 6th insurrectionists and those who attempted to illegally overturn an election. In addition, Tiffany admitted he was against the budget deal because he wants to give away more state revenue (to rich people of course). Robert takes on the Marquette Law Poll which found 80% of Wisconsinites polled support the failed surplus deal. This is another example of polling failing to improve democratic deliberation, as the ever shrinking state media fails to adequately inform voters. The Congressional Progressive Caucus is backing Taxing A.I. We love it and discuss the need for progressive revenue in Washington and Madison to fund pressing public priorities like public schools, healthcare, and childcare. Sleazy Independent Expenditure campaigns have begun in Democratic Gubernatorial primary. We try to look at who’s behind the money. You may be suprised what we were able to dig up. We close with a look at how corporate America buys our lawmakers with hard and soft power, including a Big Pharma backed event state legislator event in Madison this summer pitched as a way to improve legislative skills. We discuss and encourage our listeners to RSVP to Citizen Action’s virtual Annual Member Meeting, next Saturday, June 6th, 10am.
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    45 mins
  • Special Interview w/ State Rep. Christian Phelps: Funding public schools in the next state budget

    Special Interview w/ State Rep. Christian Phelps: Funding public schools in the next state budget
    May 21 2026
    This Memorial Weekend we open with Robert’s tick report, which finds the nation experiencing a surge in tick bites and news that half of deer ticks tested in Sconie carry Lyme disease. After touching on the spectacular crash and burn of the Evers/Vos budget surplus debacle, we dig in with State Representative Christian Phelps, one of the most knowledgeable lawmakers on public education funding. We discuss what he sees as the necessary funding for public schools in the 2027-28 state budget to start fixing the damage done by nearly two decades of under-investment. We debrief the GOP State convention where the party got 100% behind election denier Tom Tiffany and decided it was smart to attack the successful and prosperous state of Minnesota. And more data center backlash, as Milwaukee Common Council votes to ban large data centers and regulate smaller ones, and Wrightsville residents fight potential data centers in their village.
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    52 mins
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