http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/wisconsin-flag-s5.jpgBoy, it was a busy year, folks! And we’re not slowing down in 2025. So, happy New Year, and let’s get to work! - Gov. Tony Evers

MILWAUKEE - We open with a discussion of the latest horrific school shooting, this time, it’s in our backyard.

We also discuss the significance of the latest Enbridge oil pipeline spill, Attorney General Josh Kaul announces a $1.7 million settlement with a sleazy Milwaukee landlord, and we preview next year’s state budget fight.

We welcome Danny Akenson, a field organizer with GROWW to hear more about their community organizing in Western Wisconsin and their recent victory against corporate farms (CAFOs).

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MILWAUKEE - We start with discussion of the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealth. We talk about at the immediate public response, connect to the unaddressed healthcare crisis, and the proliferation of guns in America.

In Wisconsin, we focus on the upcoming state budget battle and how Gov. Tony Evers has real power in the budget because it is the only legislation that Republicans in the Legislature and the governor have to agree on, pass, and sign. We talk about the new opportunities that exist with 37 new state legislators and closer partisan margins in both the Senate and Assembly.

We are joined by Citizen Action member Jill Sexter from Wausau who organized a candlelight vigil outside of Wausau City Council to bring awareness to the fact that an unhoused man, Garrick Dixon, who tragically died in one of Wausau’s parks due to exposure last month.

We close by highlighting the excellent and successful community organizing in western Wisconsin by Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW) that led to a huge win in Pierce County resulting in restrictions on large corporate farms in The town of Maiden Rock, Wisconsin.

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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address reflecting on the Evers Administration’s accomplishments during 2024 the Year of the Worker. Since Day One, Gov. Evers and his administration have made it a top priority to address Wisconsin’s generational workforce challenges, and building upon this work, the governor in January declared 2024 the Year of the Worker in his State of the State address.

During Gov. Evers’ tenure, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has hit historic lows, and in October, Gov. Evers and DWD announced nine counties across the state, including several counties in Northern Wisconsin, showed the lowest rates of unemployment on record. Additionally, last month, Gov. Evers announced that Wisconsin has reached a new record high for employment during October 2024, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, marking the sixth consecutive monthly record for state employment and highlighting the unprecedented number of workers participating in Wisconsin’s economy. This is in addition to ranking first in the nation for inflation-adjusted hourly wage growth during February, March, and May of this year, seeing record-high enrollment in the state’s Registered and Youth Apprenticeship Programs, and securing major investments from federal partners and global companies that will support local job growth and generate billions of dollars of economic impact for years to come.

Audio File of Radio Address.

MILWAUKEE - As we prepare for Trump 2.0 Robert and Matt project some of the most important federal and Wisconsin battles of early 2025. From collective bargaining rights to health care to climate change, there will be a number of pivotal battles that we can win if enough good progressives get off the sidelines and get directlly involved. Plus, what are the implications of the big Act 10 court decision? And what is going on with the seeming division between WEAC and the Wisconsin Democratic Party in the Department of Public Instruction race?

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http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/business-small-open-s456.jpgGov. Tony Evers asks us to shop small this holiday season in his weekly radio address.

MILWAUKEE - Following a discussion of Trump’s selections for agency appointments and the recent spate of new union organizing in Wisconsin, we dive into a discussion with two guests on immediate climate organizing opportunities progressives should be engaged in now.

Former Citizen Action organizer, Kevin Kane, now with Green Homeowners United, joins us to highlight where we are in Wisconsin with the Inflation Reduction Act and ARPA implementation and what opportunities exist for organizing in Wisconsin. Kevin also strongly encourages homeowners to immediately take advantage of available federal resources.

We close the show welcoming Citizen Action member and former Wausau alderman, Tom Killian, to discuss two Open Records workshops this Saturday, November 23rd in Wausau that are open to the public. One workshop, led by Bill Lueters, will provide residents and grassroots groups with insights into obtaining records from the government. The second session features Stephan Lester, who will provide information from public records about dioxin and pentachlorophenol contamination in the Thomas Street neighborhood on Wausau’s southwest side that were acquired through years of citizen research.

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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting that last week he completed his annual visit to each of Wisconsin’s 72 counties in 2024, completing his fifth annual 72-county tour since taking office in 2019. Gov. Evers has visited all 72 Wisconsin counties in a year at least five times since becoming governor, including in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and now 2024, as well as several counties in 2020 before the pandemic prevented travel for most of the year. A thorough-but-still-not-exhaustive list of brief highlights from some of Gov. Evers’ stops in each county is available here.

Audio File of Radio Address.

MILWAUKEE - Senator Chris Larson joins us to commemorate the life of a major figure in Democratic politics who passed this week, former State Representative and Judge Fred Kessler.  Fred was one of the great political organizers of his generation, and left behind a legacy of young progressive leaders he mentored and helped elect to office.  We next turn to a deep dive into rural organizing with leaders of Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW). Joining us are Executive Director Jenelle Ludwig Krauss and Organizing Director Bill Hogseth. We discuss a deeper organizing approach to reaching rural voters, and the crisis in affordable housing in rural Wisconsin.  What are the implications for the path forward from the 2024 election?

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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today, in recognition of Veterans Day this week, celebrated Wisconsin’s 300,000 veterans and their families and honored the holiday with a video message thanking them for their service and sacrifice and reaffirming his commitment to supporting veterans and their loved ones. Gov. Evers also proclaimed Nov. 5-11, 2024, as Veteran Recognition Week and Nov. 11, 2024, as Veterans Day in Wisconsin. A copy of the governor’s Veteran Recognition Week and Veterans Day proclamation is available here.