Battleground Wisconsin · America needs a Wealth Tax New blockbuster ProPublica research finds the wealthiest Americans pay a true tax rate of only 3.4%. Is America finally ready for a wealth tax? Next, the panel asks on the big question of the day: Can U.S. Senate Democrats get their act together and pass pass bills to protect American democracy? As…

After the protest movement of 2020 elected officials have introduced a variety of police-related bills. Some of the bills are more responsive to the historic movement than others. On this week’s show, we take a deep dive into a few of the new bills, as well as the original demands which have fueled marches in the streets for over a…

 Battleground Wisconsin · Republicans embrace anti-vaxxers & the “Big Lie” We discuss Legislative Republican’s scheming with their corporate patrons such as Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce (WMC) to gin up a fake “worker shortage” to punish the unemployed. Does Robin Vos really believe Wisconsinites are lazy and irresponsible or is he just trying to exploit the working class? In a…

Battleground Wisconsin · This is not that, This is the Battleground Wisconsin Podcast We welcome Citizen Action’s Movement Politics Director, JoAnna Bautch, to discuss Citizen Action’s new podcast, This is NOT that, which premiered this week on the 1st anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. The panel reviews the BadgerCare legislative Special Session that came and went quickly due to Republican…

Battleground Wisconsin · Evers calls BadgerCare Special Session Our panel discusses Gov. Tony Evers’ declaring a special legislative session on BadgerCare Expansion with Shawn Phetteplace of the Main Street Alliance of Wisconsin. We also deconstruct a Republican state legislative effort to remove $300/weekly federal Unemployment Insurance benefits and completely cut-off the self-employed and gig workers. Citizen Action’s Movement Politics Director…

Battleground Wisconsin · Anti-Vax Ron Johnson Our panel discusses Senator Ron Johnson’s continued anti-vaccination lies while the county struggles with slowing vaccination rates. How many will die because of Johnson’s political ambitions and loyalty to the ex President? We update the state budget battle following Republican’s action in the Joint Finance Committee to strip hundreds of popular items. We also…

Battleground Wisconsin · COVID vaccine waiver We discuss the partisan vote in Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee which removed 280 publicly popular items from their state budget, including BadgerCare Expansion. Does this end the budget fight or is it really just getting started? Our panel talks about a Federal court ruling this week invalidating the CDC’s eviction moratorium. What is this…

Battleground Wisconsin · Historic Investments Our panel discusses President Biden’s American Family Plan which makes historic investments in paid leave, child care, and tax fairness, but misses an opportunity on prescription drug affordability. Senator Tammy Baldwin and other progressive U.S. Senators are urging President Biden to approve a COVID vaccine patent waiver so all counties can have access to COVID…

Battleground Wisconsin · A verdict on America We welcome JoAnna Bautch, Citizen Action’s Movement Politics Director, as a guest panelist. The panel responds to the guilty verdict in the Derrick Chauvin trial and puts it in perspective. We discuss the police reform recommendations from Wisconsin’s Legislative racial disparities task force which was set up by House Speaker Robin Vos to…

 Battleground Wisconsin · Structural racism demands structural solutions now We discuss the Daunte Wright murder by Brooklyn Center police, the announcement that Jacob Blake’s shooter will face no consequences, and a state Department of Public Instruction finding that the Burlington school district is a hostile environment for Black students. We analyze the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause in the…