Citizen Action Weekend 2025 Newsletter, Friday, September 26th
Join Citizen Action Today!
Attend Climate March this Sunday, Sept. 28th, Noon, State Capitol.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin members are uniting with partners across the state to demand bold action on climate change and a just transition to a clean energy future.
Together, we are fighting for the Climate Accountability Act, a comprehensive plan that holds polluters accountable, invests in renewable energy, creates good-paying green jobs, and protects our communities.
Sunday, September 28, 12–2 PM at the Wisconsin State Capitol, Library Mall, 715 State St.
Questions? Contact Citizen Action’s Climate Action Policy Coordinator at kat.klawes@citizenactionwi.org.
Citizen Action in the News
Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on Earl ingram’s “What’s Happening,” podcast for the full hour to discuss the political and legislative scene in Wisconsin. Listen here.
On September 21st, Citizen Action’s Climate Action Policy Coordinator, Kat Klawes, joined WORT Madison 89.9 FM’s talk show Her Story to discuss the upcoming Wisconsin Climate March. Kat spoke about the Climate Accountability Act, the urgent need for a statewide climate plan, and the real impacts climate change is already having on Wisconsin communities, from rising energy costs to extreme weather.
Listen here to the full interview.
Join Citizen Action’s Climate Equity State Action Team on September 30th at 6 PM
Join Citizen Action’s Climate State Action Team on Monday, September 30 at 6 PM. We will plan our upcoming climate and utility justice lobby day, move the Climate Accountability Act forward, and organize for real utility justice.
We are building a team that meets regularly to organize, strategize, and win. We need members from every part of Wisconsin. Interested in joining? Email Climate Action Policy Coordinator Kat Klawes at kat.klawes@citizenactionwi.org.
Join Citizen Action Healthcare State Action Team, next meeting is October 2nd, 6pm
If you want to join with fellow Citizen Action leaders from around the state who volunteer to help lead Citizen Action’s healthcare organizing, contact: Kristie.Tweed@citizenactionwi.org
Citizen Action Northwest Organizing Co-op members visit a new solar farm north of Eau Claire on SUNday
On Sunday, September 21st, as part of the national SUNday Celebration, Citizen Action members part of the Northwestern Organizing Cooperative’s Climate Action Team were among visitors to a solar farm recently constructed north of Eau Claire called Chippewa Sun Solar. SolarShare Wisconsin Cooperative worked with OneEnergy Renewable to construct the 5 megawatt solar farm, thanks to major investments from the City of Eau Claire, UW-Eau Claire’s Sonnentag Center, and Pablo Group.
The solar project generates 10 million kilowatt-hours per year, which will save 8.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released into the atmosphere. The project is a key pathway for the City of Eau Claire to achieve their goal of 100% renewable energy and carbon neutrality by the year 2050. Get involved in Citizen Action’s Northwest Wisconsin Climate Action Team by contacting Jeremy Gragert: jeremy.gragert@citizenactionwi.org
Citizen Action North Side Rising member takes the BadgerCare Expansion and Hospital Accountability message to the community.
As a leader of the Citizen Action North Side Rising Healthcare Action Team, J. Sandford Bethea is excited and willing to take the BadgerCare message wherever he goes. As a member of Repairs of the Breach and a Certified DFS (Diabetic Foot Specialist), J. Sandford has a statewide platform to share information on how we work to secure our healthcare. As a BadgerCare user and provider, he wants to see a healthcare system where he can give and access the best of care at affordable costs.
Will you match the commitment of this 76-years-young member who engages the community on a weekly basis?
Contact North Side Rising organizer, Valerie Ricks at: valerier@citizenactionwi.org or
Southeastern organizer Rubin Aquillo at ruben.aquino@citizenactionwi.org
City of Milwaukee Residents: Use Your Voice to Change Policy
Join “Let’s Talk About It: My Climate Story”, a free four-session training that turns your lived experience into a powerful story that motivates neighbors, shapes media narratives, and persuades elected officials to act on climate. You’ll learn clear, tested communication tools, draft and refine your story with coaching, and share it in a final showcase. Select sessions are co-led by Citizen Action’s Climate Action Policy Coordinator, Kat Klawes.
When: Thursdays, 5:30–7:30 pm
- Oct 9: Climate Communications 101
- Oct 23: Intro to Storytelling with Ex Fabula
- Nov 6: Creating Your Story
- Nov 20: Story Showcase
Citizen Action North Side Rising Brings IRA Housing Resources to the Community
North Side Rising’s Housing Resources Team recently partnered with Riverworks MKE to host an engaging presentation on the new Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) home energy grants. With over 25 community members in attendance, the session focused on how local homeowners and renters can take advantage of these funds to make their homes more comfortable, affordable, and energy efficient.
The IRA grants provide up to $10,000 per household for upgrades like insulation and air sealing, high-efficiency HVAC systems, electrical panel upgrades, water heaters, and smart home energy systems. These improvements not only help families save money on energy bills but also reduce environmental impacts, making neighborhoods healthier and more resilient for the long term.
To learn more about these grants, call 414-522-1143
Citizen Action North Central Health Care Action Team Update
The North Central Organizing Co-op had their first local Health Care Action team meeting on Thursday, Sept. 25th at 6pm. They will be meeting at the same time on the 4th Thursday of every month.
Their first meeting was a great introduction to the local work that we can do, and a good education session on the cuts that are coming from the federal government. Currently, CAW members are knocking doors, all across the state, to talk about the Hospital Accountability Act and the BadgerCare Public Option Bill, along
with a few other issues. Members of the NC HCAT have been on the doors as well. The response has been positive, with people in the community discussing their concerns over the cost of everything, including healthcare, groceries, utility costs, etc. This team is still in formation. If you live in the northcentral region and healthcare is your top issue, contact Organizer Joel Lewis at 715-551-2525 or joel.lewis@citizenactionwi.org.
Member Spotlight
At Citizen Action of Wisconsin, we would not be successful, without the work of our members and people in the community. In North Central Wisconsin, we have been fortunate to have Tom Kilian as a founding member of our Organizing Co-op. Tom has served the community in a variety of ways. He started out as a regular community member, organizing his neighborhood and getting active in attending and speaking at City meetings.
Tom is proof that through citizen action and participation, things can be changed for the better. The work that he has helped to organize culminated in a level of community engagement that led to the testing of contaminated sites in his neighborhood, from years of unchecked industrial waste, and eventually, remediation of these contaminated sites. The work is not done, and Tom, members of the community, and Citizen Action, continue to be advocates for this diverse, working-class neighborhood.
In Tom’s own words,
“When it comes to combating the undue influence of moneyed corporations on government policy — or unjust actions of the government itself — citizen involvement and action are required. In democratic settings, there simply is no substitute. Residents on Wausau’s southwest side continue to advocate intensely for the remediation of longstanding industrial contamination in the neighborhood. Advocacy also continues from those on the ground to stop the siting or expansion of polluting industrial facilities on residentially-zoned property that is currently owned by the city in this area. Entities like 3M Company and City of Wausau government have attempted to thrust their industrial operations onto this residential property, despite the property being in extremely close proximity to families’ yards and produce gardens, and despite the fact that this region of the city has a concerning history of consequences from contamination.
Citizens must get active in local issues like these, even though the situations sometimes feel like David and Goliath struggles. Even small groups of citizens can make dramatic, surprising differences when it comes to civic outcomes. But that requires action. And it requires persistence.”
Tom’s efforts, along with the work of other leaders connected to this work, led to the formation of a group called Citizens for a Clean Wausau. This group worked with several entities, including The Center for Health and Environmental Justice (CHEJ) and the People’s Action Institute. Here, toxicologist and People’s Action member, Stephen Lester is seen with Tom, in the neighborhood that is being talked about.
Thank you Tom, for all of the great work you do for this neighborhood, and the greater Wausau area. And thank you to everyone else that has been called to action around this issue. When we stand together, we can win!
Citizen Action Southeast Organizing Co-op Weekly Update
🌍 Climate Team – Thursday, October 23, 6 PM
At our first Climate meeting, we had a strong discussion about public transportation and climate justice. We’ll be back together for our next meeting on Thursday, October 23 at 6 PM.
Climate March – Sunday, September 28
This Sunday we hit the streets to demand bold climate action. Join us for this powerful moment of people power!
🏥 Medicaid Team – Wednesday, October 22 at 6 PM
Our meeting this month went great! Together we made a plan for a health care town hall in November. Let’s keep the momentum going—join us for our next meeting on Wednesday, October 22 at 6 PM at the Citizen Action office.
🚪 Canvassing
We’re gaining new members every week out on the doors. Canvassing is fun, outside, and full of great conversations—come join us!
To get more information about any of these events or to get involved with us, contact: Ruben.Aquino@citizenactionwi.org
Listen to “Defending core values of democracy” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
We start with the on-going invasion of many Wisconsin communities by energy and water sucking data centers. While profiting Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and Big Utilities these projects threaten to accelerate runaway climate change and spike already unaffordable utility prices. While state and local economic development boosters, including the Evers Administration, throw public money at data centers without considering the massive environmental costs and limited economic impact, a few brave communities are standing up in places such as Menomonie and Caledonia. We need to refocus public policy on addressing the climate crisis, not economical development boondogles that light the planet on fire. We encourage people to attend this Sunday’s Climate March at the Capitol in Madison at Noon.
Meanwhile Trump, Vance, and their minions rush to politicize the violent attack on ICE office in Dallas before the facts are in, blaming Democratic and left wing truth-telling about the abuses of Trump’s immigration crackdown. There is a problem with political incendiary language, that it comes from the President, Vice President, and MAGA, not elected progressives and mainline Democrats. We talk about the potential of a government shutdown, and the Trump Regime impact in Wisconsin this week, including Derrick Van Ordin’s demand to cut off federal dollars to the City of Eau Claire, Ellsworth, and Mayo Clinic in retaliation for social media posts.
Citizen Action Board member and former state Representative Sandy Pasch joins us to warn our listeners about a terrible new bill in Madison that restricts free speech in the name of fighting antisemitism by making legitimate and First Amendment protected criticism of Israel into hate speech. The bill is yet another authoritarian attempt to empower government crackdowns against civil society groups and free speech. Sandy calls for our listeners to reach out to their state representatives and senators to oppose AB 446, and support alternative legislation that meaningfully addresses antisemitism.
Finally, we welcome Chris Gooding, Theology professor and union leader at Marquette University, to update our listeners on the Jesuit university’s union busting in the name of God. We discussed how this anti-union strategy spread this month to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where the university walked away from negotiations with their workers, prompting outrage on campus and a strike vote.
Listen to the show.
Contact your state legislators weekday 8am – 5pm at 1-800-362-9472.
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