“Historic 24 hours” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast

What a 24 hours! We review the potential implications of a terrible court ruling endangering the future of the Affordable Care Act. Citizen Action’s national network, People’s Action, endorses Bernie Sanders for President. Ryan Greenwood, People’s Action’s Movement Politics Director, joins to tell us why. We discuss the third impeachment of a president in American history, and the latest GOP…

Bill Kaplan: New Year’s resolution, expand Medicaid

Politics can lead to unexpected outcomes. As the House impeachment inquiry proceeded, Democrats Andy Beshear and John Edwards won gubernatorial elections in Kentucky and Louisiana respectively, succeeding in states Trump carried in 2016. Moreover, Trump campaigned for their GOP opponents. Beshear and Edwards explained their success: “To win, we had to reach out to people across the political spectrum, including…

Citizen Action Weekly: Friday, December 13th

Friday, December 13th Citizen Action hires new movement politics director, JoAnna Bautch Citizen Action is very excited to announce the hiring of JoAnna Bautch as our movement politics director! JoAnna will be developing Citizen Action’s electoral and voter engagement programs, with a focus on helping current (and future) members run for office on our long term agenda for structural reform….

“2020 prescription drug plan” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast

We discuss the new House Democratic prescription drug plan that passed the House on Thursday. We review a new study that found for the first time in history, U.S. billionaires pay a lower tax rate than the working class. Also, Senator Tammy Baldwin joins only 26 other U.S. Senators telling Donald Trump to fire white nationalist advisor Stephen Miller. We…

Bill Kaplan: Advice for Governor Evers

In 2018, Democrats won every statewide office on the ballot. It was the “first time since 1982 that one party – the Democrats – won elections to all those offices” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Wisconsin voters made a clear change in direction. However,  most of our Republican friends turned out to be sore losers. The lame-duck legislature threw away civic norms…

Citizen Action Weekly: Friday, December 6th

Friday, December 6th Attend Annual meeting this Saturday, December 7th, in Milwaukee, Eau Claire, Verona, Wausau, De Pere, and LaCrosse Wisconsin. The Citizen Action of Wisconsin Annual meeting will take place this Saturday, December 7th, 12pm. Doors open for lunch at the Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St. Milwaukee. Meeting starts at 1pm. Each regional organizing co-op will…

High School Battleground Wisconsin Podcast

We discuss a series of violent incidents and threats of violence in Wisconsin high school this week and the reaction of elected leaders. We review a new study finding that a higher percentage of medical care in Wisconsin is wasteful and low quality. The study also concludes that if every primary care physician in Wisconsin provided the same quality of…

Citizen Action Weekly: Happy Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

Happy Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend Citizen Action Members Stand in Solidarity with Students on UWEC Campus Following Racist Threats. On Monday, November 25th, several Citizen Action members joined students and faculty on the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Campus to stand in solidarity as they protest the recent threats made against the student organization, Black Male Empowerment. Our members stood…

Bill Kaplan: Impeachment, facts matter

I have been reluctant to support impeachment of Trump. Only 8 federal officials have ever been impeached by the House (majority of those voting) and convicted (removed) by the Senate (two-thirds of those present). Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached, but not convicted. And, Nixon resigned after the House Judiciary Committee approved 3 bipartisan impeachment articles. Today, a…