Citizen Action Weekend E Newsletter, April 28th – 30th
Citizen Action members trek to the final JFC state budget public hearing in Minocqua.
This Wednesday, the Legislature’s budget writing committee, the Joint Finance Committee) held it’s forth and final public hearing on the next state budget in Minocqua. Before the public hearing in Minocqua, Citizen Action hosted a media conference on the critical regional impacts of major budget proposals on health care.
Governor Evers’ proposal to expand BadgerCare would close a critical health care coverage gap, and bring in over $2 billion in additional federal health care investments. It would also save the state $1.6 billion in General Purpose Revenue, which could be used for local public schools, shared revenue for underfunded counties, cities, and towns, child care, and other priorities.
Speakers included State Rep. Kristina Shelton, Citizen Action Board Member Vik Verma and Citizen Action co-op member Peggy McDowell, who was forced to get divorced to qualify for BadgerCare because the GOP has refused to expand it.
Watch Peggy McDowell’s testimony. Watch Vik Verma’s testimony.
Watch media conference before JFC hearing.
Read media from event. WXPR Public Radio WAOW TV 9 Wausau.
Citizen Action members attend WISDOM lobby day at the state capitol.
North Side Rising members start planning for 2024 Election
NSR members Andre Brown (Project Return), Mitch Carter (Running Rebels) and Will Pritchard (We Are Community LLC) are already planning for election year 2024. While reproductive rights remains an important voter issue, fair maps (gerrymandering), voter education and turnout are equally important issues for Black voters.
In 2024 targeted community direct voter outreach on the doors and phones will be key to engaging more voters. We will be talking about our climate organizing at the City and County with voters and encouraging them to get active in our campaign and vote in 2024.
Citizen Action in the News
Citizen Action members from our North Central Wisconsin Organizing Co-op turned out in force for the final state public budget hearing of the session in Minocqua this week. They testified and they participated in a pre-hearing press conference to advocate for BadgerCare Expansion.
See coverage from WAOW TV 9 Wausau.
Citizen Action Member Peggy McDowell, who lives in Tomahawk, told the Joint Finance Committee of how she and her husband were forced to get divorced to qualify for BadgerCare because the GOP has refused to expand it.
Read the WXPR Public Radio story here.
Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Earl Ingram Show for the full hour live from the budget hearing in Minocqua.
Listen to the whole program here.
Listen to “State Budget Battle Brewing” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
We welcome new permanent panelist Priscilla Bort, the Movement Politics Director at Citizen Action to the show. Priscilla tells our listener more about her background. We are thrilled to have her. The panel immediately dives into the state budget battle brewing that will consume the Capital for the next few months. Robert reports back on the final JFC public hearing held in Minocqua. Now the real action begins as JFC takes votes on the budget. Priscilla tells us about Governor Evers plan in the budget to ensure all Wisconsin students eat for free while in our schools. We highlight Rep. Kristina Shelton’s relentless support for the proposal and her leadership in the Assembly and beyond. We call out the latest GOP bills targeting benefits programs to pass the Assembly. Robert highlights AB 148 which would impose costly and antiquated barriers to health care. The panel discusses the unnecessary debt limit fiasco and Rep. Van Orden’s decision to back Speaker McCarthy’s scheme to make Trump tax cuts for the rich permanent, leading to drastic cuts to vital programs and undermining climate effort and health care affordability advances. Priscilla updates us on the Republican effort to legally harass former Racine alderman John Tate II, as their charges were dismissed this week. We reveal the Milwaukee Police Association’s effort to fight legally over the new City of Milwaukee video release policy which improves transparency.
Listen to the show!
Support the CUNA Mutual Fund workers strike fund.
Social media post of the week
