Citizen Action Weekend ’24 Newsletter, July 26th

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Citizen Action and State Representative Kristina Shelton hold media event in Green Bay to hold hospital systems accountable. 

At a news conference in Green Bay this Tuesday, Rep. Kristina Shelton, Dr. Robert Kraig, and Citizen Action members discussed emerging legislation that will lower healthcare costs and stabilize Wisconsin hospitals.

Emerging in the wake of the disastrous closures of two HSHS hospitals and 11 Prevea clinics in Western Wisconsin, this new legislation is crucial for Green Bay because HSHS hospitals  (St. Mary’s and St. Vincent’s) and Prevea are major employers and care providers for thousands of area residents.

A majority of Wisconsinites, including those with insurance, report going without healthcare due to concern about costs. At the same time, many hospitals are closing due to financial distress. How can we reconcile skyrocketing costs with closing hospitals? Dr. Kraig and Rep. Shelton spoke about the root causes of healthcare hyperinflation and hospital instability and described policy solutions that can help guarantee healthcare for everyone in the region.

Watch TV News coverage from CBS 5.

Sign our petition in support of developing legislation.

Citizen Action members attend virtual training on hospital accountability campaign Thursday night. 

Watch video of training.
Passcode: S5@ZY0H6

Victory for Climate and Customers in Southeast Wisconsin

The Public Service Commission (PSC) decided not to let We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service Corporation charge customers for the upstart costs of a new gas plant in Oak Creek. This is a huge win for clean energy and a significant step towards a more sustainable future for Wisconsin. The strong public comments, with over 35 organizations speaking out, made this win possible. This victory is crucial for our climate goals, as the proposed gas plant would have locked in decades of carbon emissions, hindering efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses. This opportunity allows us to continue to advocate for greener and more affordable energy.

Citizen Action of Wisconsin opposed the proposal to build a new gas plant in Oak Creek, sending a detailed letter to the Public Service Commission. We highlighted the project’s contradiction to climate goals, severe health risks, and the unfair financial burden on ratepayers, urging investment in renewable energy instead.

Read our letter here.

This win highlights the importance of public involvement in shaping policies that protect our environment and promote a sustainable future for all.

Interested in getting involved in climate work in Southeast Wisconsin? Email Southeast Co-op Organizer Brandon Williford at [email protected].

SIGN UP to Volunteer with Citizen Action’s Phone Bank for Tara Johnson, Tuesday, July 30th, 5pm. 

Volunteer with Citizen Action to win critical state legislative elections!

See list of Citizen Action’s early endorsed candidates.

Citizen Action in the News

As reported in our headline story this week, Citizen Action held a news conference in Green Bay State Rep. Kristina Shelton to discuss new legislation to rein in skyrocketing hospital prices and to halt the rash of closures.

Watch the coverage from CBS TV 5 Green Bay/Fox Cities here.

As he is every Wednesday at 9 AM, Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Earl Ingram Show for the full hour to discuss the shakeup in the Presidential race.

Listen Here

The Earl Ingram Show airs on the growing Civic Media radio network from 8 AM to 10 AM weekdays. Robert is the regular guest every Wednesday 9 AM to 10 AM. Civic Media now has radio stations in every media market where Citizen Action has an organizing co-op. You can also subscribe to the Earl Ingram show on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other podcast platforms, and listen on Alexa and on TuneIn. For video of the program you can watch on YouTube.

Listen to “Harris 2024: Total Reset?” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast 

In a sudden reset, President Biden steps aside and Vice President Kamala Harris immediately consolidates overwhelming support. We discuss the implications for Election 2024 and the possible policy agenda of the new Democratic standard bearer; including, medical debt, rent inflation caps, climate change, and the War in Gaza. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu throws gasoline on the situation in a speech to a joint session of Congress.

We discuss the critical August 13th State Legislative primary elections and strongly encourage progressives to get off the sidelines and talk to voters with Citizen Action. Next Tuesday, at 5pm we will be making calls for Tara Johnson in Assembly District 96, a chance to flip a GOP seat to a progressive champion.

Robert tells us about a media event we organized this week in Green Bay with State Representative Kristina Shelton in support of developing state legislation addressing the consolidation of the hospital industry, skyrocketing consumer costs, and the closures of important hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin. We close by acknowledging the avalanche of local school funding referendums that are being scheduled to make up for the state’s failure to properly fund public education. The same state budget lavished private voucher schools with their largest increase in 30 years.

Listen to the show.

Make phone calls for Tara Johnson, Assembly District 96, Tuesday, July 30th, 5pm

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