Wispolitics Midday

On this week's Capitol Chats podcast, Department of Health Services Sec. Kirsten Johnson talks about the importance of expanding Medicaid coverage in Wisconsin, which would save Medicaid recipients money. She also said the state's abortion ban could make Wisconsin less attractive to medical students, arguing the lack of abortion access is a "travesty."    

In this week's Capitol Chats episode, Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, talks about how Republicans' budget doesn't give Milwaukee the help it needs. She argues the state's most populous city is the economic driver, and other lawmakers should give Milwaukee the respect and resources it needs to keep boosting the rest of the state.

On this week's Capitol Chats podcast, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, argues the recent investigation that resulted in charges against Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, compromises the president. He also says several members of Biden's cabinet should be impeached.    

In this week's Capitol Chats, Wisconsin's newly elected DNC Representative Alex Lasry says he wants to help carry national Dems to victory on a wave of past success. The former Milwaukee Bucks exec. also talks about possible plans to retake CD3 and battle for CD1 before talking a little bit about how he likes living on Milwaukee's east side.      

On this week's Capitol Chats episode, Rep. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, talks about proposed symbolic and substantive legislation aimed at improving the lives of LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites. He also talks about a possible deal being reached between Dems and Republicans on a conversion therapy ban, which has been a hotly contested issue in the Capitol.      

On this week's Capitol Chats episode, Clean Wisconsin Government Relations Director Erik Kanter talks about a proposal to spend $125 million on a state PFAS trust fund. Kanter says the money is important, but he's concerned with the proposal's restrictions on how the Department of Natural Resources can regulate PFAS contamination and cleanup efforts.    

In this week's Capitol Chats episode, Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dan Hereth talks about how his agency has been working to address a backlog of license approvals that arose during the pandemic. Hereth says DSPS has implemented several technology and process improvements to speed the process along and ensure those who need help get it.        

On this week's Capitol Chats episodes, Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, explains why the shared revenue proposal floating around the Capitol is so important for Milwaukee. He also expresses some of his frustration with policy and spending restrictions that specifically target Milwaukee in the Assembly's version of the shared revenue deal.    

League of Wisconsin Municipalities Executive Director Jerry Deschane says this session is turning out to be one of the most consequential for local governments in a generation. Several bills are circulating the Capitol to address shared revenue, workforce housing and PFAS "forever chemical" contamination.    

In this week's Capitol Chats episode, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, says he'll need to see a border security bill included in the debt limit increase for him to support it. He also talks about a possible Senate bid for next year's election.  

On this week's Capitol Chats episode, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Bond says many of DVA's budget requests focus on improving housing, medical, substance abuse and other veteran care. He also says he's conducting a survey at the troubled Union Grove home to address issues lawmakers have raised about the quality of care there.

In this week's Capitol Chats episode, Superintendent Jill Underly argues Joint Finance Committee Republicans should support public school funding proposals because they would help everyone. She also says a proposal to allow teachers with concealed carry permits to bring guns to school would not reduce gun violence; reducing guns in schools would.    

On this week's Capitol Chats episode, School Choice Wisconsin Director of Policy and Government Affairs Amy Loudenbeck rebukes Gov. Tony Evers' proposed enrollment caps. She says Wisconsin families rely on school choice "and anything that would limit or eliminate the program is going to meet some heavy resistance."

On this week's Capitol Chats episode, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Legal Director Michelle Velasquez says the future of mifepristone is still up in the air as legal battles continue. She also says it'll be interesting to see how the legal battle of AG Josh Kaul's lawsuit to overturn the state's 1849 abortion ban plays out after the recent Supreme Court race created a 4-3 liberal majority on the bench.

In this week's Capitol Chats episode, Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr says the current administration has no appetite to increase prison capacity. And any talks about building new prisons to replace aging facilities would need to come with a criminal justice reform deal. Republicans in the Joint Finance Committee have been focusing on the aging Green Bay Correctional Institution, first opened in 1898.

In this week's Capitol Chats episode, Rep. Dave Murphy in a Zoom interview says he's happy the UW System issued its free speech survey to students. He also says he wants to look closer at the results and hold some hearings in the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee he chairs.    

In this week's Capitol Chats episode, State Public Defender Legislative Liaison Adam Plotkin says Wisconsin's criminal justice system needs public defenders taking cases in order to function. As the biennial budget cycle moves ahead, he wants to make sure Republicans include pay raises to address SPD recruitment and retention issues. Plotkin also talks about why a bill to define "violent crime" could increase the load on the justice system.    

In this week's Capitol Chats episode, Fond du Lac DA Eric Toney says pay increases for prosecutors and public defenders are crucial to fighting the attorney shortage in Wisconsin. He also says he's been talking with Republican leaders about making sure DAs get what they need in the upcoming budget.

DNR Secretary Adam Payne says he's optimistic about coming to a consensus on setting water quality and PFAS standards after years of tumultuous talks. Payne also says the DNR needs to do a better job at figuring out the carrying capacity for gray wolves and animals they interact with while the department refines its draft wolf management plan.