Battleground Wisconsin

We welcome Matthew Rothschild to discuss the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's formal complaint with the Internal Revenue Service alleging that Wisconsin Club for Growth violated its tax-exempt status in John Doe case. Jeff Smith from the Citizen Action Western Wisconsin Organizing Cooperative joins us to talk about a 7,000 cow mega-farm proposed in rural Dunn County. Jorna educates us on the Walker Administration’s plan to make free state ID’s only for voting. Robert updates us on the Outsourced Wisconsin tour that visited Plexus this week and the Wisconsin Attorney General’s move to block pay raise for Wisconsin workers. Jorna also scrutinizes Paul Ryan’s new tax plan.

We discuss the Guardian's sensational leaked court documents from the John Doe investigation that reveal the influence of corporate pay to play in Scott Walker’s campaign. We focus especially on the sleazy deal with paint manufactures where Walker sold out kids who have been poisoned by lead for $750,000 to political groups that helped Walker survive his recall election. Documents also show Republican operatives discussed ginning up "voter fraud" reports in 2011 Supreme Court Election. We also talk about Sen. Ron Johnson’s Senate hearing Thursday to undermine access to affordable health care.

We welcome Nicole Safar, from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin to discuss their $1.6 million settlement victory from the state and how the issue of women’s health will impact the 2016 elections. Jorna reveals Paul Ryan is shamelessly holding Zika virus funding hostage by tying it to cutting funding for Planned Parenthood. We review new job creation numbers ranking Wisconsin 33rd. Wisconsin continues to trail the national rate of job creation, as it has since July 2011. Russ Feingold launches his jobs tour blasting bad trade deals as the Irish-based Johnson Controls International celebrated its $150 tax avoidance merger completion this week that will make company Chairman, Alex Molinaroli eligible for $74 million in “golden parachute” payments. We conclude talking about our “Outsourced Wisconsin” tour launch at Rexnord Thursday and the Assembly Republicans release their 2017 agenda.

We welcome Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s Organizing Director, Kevin Kane to discuss the role of the Wisconsin Legislature in helping drug corporation, Mylan, price gouge for EpiPen. Mylan spent thousands on political contributions and tens of thousands on lobbying to use Wisconsin school and recreation programs to expand market for EpiPens. As we head into Labor Day weekend, we also discuss Kevin Kane’s new research showing a significant decrease in manufacturing wages in Wisconsin between 2010 and 2015 and the role of rigged trade deals and outsourcing in the wage decline. We look at the latest Wisconsin election polling and discuss Trump’s immigration speech Wednesday. Robert reviews a new op/ed from Paul Ryan and Ron Johnson on poverty and Anita Johnson joins us to discuss how you can enter our contest to win (2) tickets to the Daily Show’s Trevor Noah performance in Milwaukee, Friday, September 9th.

Wisconsin Manufacturing Wages Declining - Media Call 9/1/16 Magnitude of the Decline Varies Citizen Action of Wisconsin will host a media call on Thursday September 1st at 11:30 AM to release data showing a precipitous decline in the wages of manufacturing workers in Wisconsin. The data will include wage declines for every major metro area. While more attention has been paid to impact of rigged global trade and state economic development programs on outsourcing Wisconsin jobs, they are also driving down the wages of jobs that remain in Wisconsin. Declining wages are damaging Wisconsin’s economy because working families have fewer dollars to spend in their local communities. Speakers: State Senator Dave Hansen Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary Treasurer, WI State AFL-CIO State Representative Evan Goyke Kevin Kane, Organizing Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin Dr. Robert Kraig, Exec. Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin

“Early Voting Victory” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast Our panel looks at a federal Appeals Court decision preserving a judge’s ruling allowing municipalities to expand early voting dates and locations in Wisconsin. Robert tells us more about a Citizen Action media event focusing on WEDC’s fraudulent job creation numbers for Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood and how WEDC’s failed strategy is not up to the scale of the problem. Jorna discusses dropping ACT scores for Wisconsin students and makes the obvious connection to cuts in school funding and attacks on teachers which has resulted in a growing teacher shortage throughout the state. The Trump campaign hires Stephen K. Bannon, chairman of the Breitbart News website and launches Wisconsin Women for Trump which includes Darlene Wink who was convicted of doing Scott Walker campaign work while in the county executive's office and a GOP operative granted immunity to testify in the probe, which led the convictions of six individuals.

We reflect on Milwaukee Sherman Park unrest and its implications, including the right-wing effort to exploit the situation and the desperate need to get serious about expanding economic opportunity in Milwaukee’s African-American community. We also discuss a Citizen Action revelation that Governor Walker's jobs agency misrepresented job creation in Sherman Park. The panel bats around news that Johnson Controls shareholders approved the company's merger with Tyco International enabling them to dodge $150 million in U.S. taxes and dole out lavish gold parachutes to top executives on our dime. Finally, we dig into the shocking news that one of the nation's largest health insurance corporations is pulling out of ObamaCare in retaliation for the Obama Administration's move to block a proposed mega merger.

We look back at this week’s primary election and peer forward towards the November general election. A new MU Law Poll shows Clinton and Feingold with substantial leads, Trump stunningly unpopular and Johnson both unpopular and little known. We discuss a Federal Appellate Court decision blocking a workaround for Photo ID. We encourage listeners to become poll workers, and review Donald Trump’s latest proto-fascist ravings, including his unveiled threat to Hillary Clinton and his pronouncement that President Obama is the 'the founder of ISIS'.

We welcome Citizen Action of Wisconsin organizer Anita Johnson to review a federal judge’s ruling that major parts of the voting restrictions laws passed by the conservative legislature and signed by Governor Walker between 2011 and 2014 are unconstitutional. In the case brought by Citizen Action of Wisconsin the judge found that several of the voting restrictions constitute intentional racial discrimination against African American and Latino voters in Milwaukee. We also talk about news that Affordable Care Act insurance rates in Wisconsin could increase anywhere from 5% to 36% in 2017 and how these costs are being driven by prescription drugs and underlying price of medical services. Finally the panel weighs in on Donald Trump’s surreal week, a national push back against payday lenders, and next Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary elections.

We review this week's Democratic National Convention and the nomination of Hillary Clinton and discuss Trump’s call for Russia to commit a cyber attack on Clinton’s private computer server. We welcome Mary Bottari, a journalist from the Center for Media and Democracy, to discuss the dark money special interests involved in trying to defeat Milwaukee County District Attorney, John Chisholm. We conclude with a discussion of a developing GOP split on the state’s $1 billion transportation funding shortfall.

Our full panel discusses the news that an affidavit option must be in place for voters without photo ID’s by the November election and the Eau Claire County Board passes a living wage ordinance. We also review the Cruz missile that exploded at the GOP convention this week. Tommy takes a shot at Scott Walker in Cleveland and Ron Johnson losses $2.2 million of Koch Brothers ads.

On this episode Jorna and Robert predict the Trump VP pick (that happens Friday) and discuss the speakers for the upcoming RNC convention. Later in the show Matt Rothschild, Executive Director of WI Democracy Campaign, joins the team to talk about the not so amazing transition from the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board to the Elections and Ethics Commission. Our favorite failed Walker agency, WEDC, is back once again in the news. This time they want to place a gag order on their Board members. Really, you can't make this stuff up!

Citizen Action of Wisconsin is releasing a new report on Tuesday at 11 AM highlighting the hundreds of millions in consumer out of pocket savings possible if insurers decide to introduce Low Out-of-Pocket Health Plans for 2017 by the deadline 10 days away. The report analyzes 2016 individual health insurance deductible variations for doctor's visits and prescription drugs within Wisconsin. Citizen Action will be joined by the American College of Physicians Wisconsin Chapter and community members with high health costs. For the first tim, the federal government is encouraging insurance companies that offer plans on Healthcare.gov to introduce Low Out-Of-Pocket Health Plans. Wisconsin insurers must decide whether to do so before a July 22nd deadline. A main feature of Low Out-Of-Pocket Health Plans is the elimination of deductibles on many health services and all prescription drugs. This represents thousands in annual savings for the average consumer. The report will include savings itemized for each major

Jorna continues her magic hosting ways while Matt wonders out yonder. Speaking of out yonder...WEDC finally gives up the goods per the Citizen Action Open Records request and what did we get? Zilch cakes! Robert explains how WEDC can't find any awarded companies downsizing or laying off workers in Wisconsin, #strange. We then chat about Mr. Christie, Mr. Walker, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Ryan, and how they all love Mr. Trump so much that they may or may not show up for the Republican National Convention. As Robert jumps on a plane to Orlando for the 2016 Democratic Platform meeting, he gives us all the juicy details on the almost progressive platform. Who said TPP? Robert also challenges Right-Wing radio chat-o-matic Vicki McKenna to a debate on Free Speech, or to an arm wrestling contest. What's going on? Listen and find out!

With special guest political consultant Jason Rae we discuss Do-Nothing Sen. Ron Johnson's stance on Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland. We also talk about the Supreme Court's dramatic ruling on Monday to throw out a Texas anti-abortion law, and it's impact on Wisconsin. Speaking of Mr. Do-Nothing, the panel reacts to Gov. Walker's latest jibe at teachers. We also discuss how Trump compares trade deals to rape...yes he did! And finally Sh..Sh..Sh...SHARK! (Or by another name, Payday lenders!) These meat eaters purposefully ensnare hard pressed working people into debt they can't escape. Citizen Action is rolling out a new program against these legalized loan sharks!

We are joined by state representative Cory Mason to discuss the decision to allow Waukesha access to Lake Michigan water and to flush their treated sewage into Racine’s Root River. We also talk about the congressional sit-in supporting expanding background checks in response to the Orlando mass shooting. The panel also reviews Paul Ryan’s new healthcare “plan”, Walker’s invite-only closed door “listening session”, "loose cannon" Bob Gannon spouts off again, and a new report on Act 10’s impact.

Our panel reflects on the hate crime killing targeting the LGBT community in Orlando last week and discuss how national and Wisconsin political leaders are responding to the tragedy. We look at the latest Wisconsin and national polling in important 2016 elections. The new MU Law poll confirms Gov. Walker is still very unpopular, even as his invite-only "listening sessions" convince him otherwise. We also discuss the release of the 2015-2016 legislative scorecard by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters ranking all state legislators on important conservation votes. Thanks to Trumpcast for Donald Trump's Orlando tweet. http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/trumpcast.html

We open by discuss Hillary Clinton’s historic week as she won 4 of 6 primaries and essentially wrapped up the Democratic nomination of president. The news for Wisconsin’s economy was not as good. We talk about new federal data ranking the state 36th in job creation in 2015. The panel reviews a bad week for Paul #ImwithRacist” Ryan that included his introduction of a new poverty plan. We wrap up with a discussion about the three elected race-baiting, conservative clowns in Wisconsin who think it’s a great idea to cut state funding for Milwaukee because of crime. Jorna also tells us about this weekend’s Pride Fest in Milwaukee.

With the passing of the candidate filing deadline, we discuss some of the big 2016 election match ups shaping up across Wisconsin. Then the panel discusses the embarrassing open records revelations this week about Scott Walker's ill-fated effort to repeal the Wisconsin Idea, Robert talks about a new federal effort to reign in Wall Street’s corrupt payday lending schemes and new research showing the Affordable Care Act is extremely popular with those covered by the law. Jorna closes the show with a discussion of why one of Donald Trump's top supporters called Speaker Paul Ryan a “yellow bellied coward.” Sign petition to rein in the worst payday lending abuses by supporting a proposed new rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: http://stoppaydaypredators.org/CAW/

We begin with important new legislation to hold prescription drug corporations accoutnable for skyrocketing prices. Then we turn to a huge week in the courts, where the voting rights trial concludes its second week and a trial began on a crucial challenge to Wisconsin's gerrymandered legislative districts. We also talk about a State Appeals Court stay in Wisconsin's right-to-work lawsuit and GOP Attorney General Brad Schimel’s lawsuit against the Obama administration’s protection for the rights of transgender kids. Paul Ryan Watch finds Donald Trump trying to get Speaker Ryan doing the splits with one foot on the Trump Train.