Transcript
Wisconsin vs. Illinois: What You Can Get Across the Border
This Is Wisconsin · Thu Jul 16, 2026
A special investigation from This Is Wisconsin with Civic Media.
Today, we're making a road trip to the southern border with Illinois.
This Is Wisconsin is going to investigate what is different on either side of that line.
Over here in Wisconsin, we have the most championship winning football team in the entire world.
We are the number one cheese producing state in the country.
We are always in the top three in terms of the fraction of our state that's employed in manufacturing.
But there are things that you can
access only in Illinois.
Medicaid, access to marijuana, those are two very big things that we in Wisconsin want to access that we just don't have.
Over here, smoking weed means there's taxes that help to fund schools.
Here in Wisconsin, if you light up, you could be subject to a thousand dollar fine
and six months in jail.
Over here in Illinois, they've expanded Medicaid, but on this side, Medicaid has not been expanded.
So Wisconsinites are paying for healthcare.
Is there anything that people in Illinois can't get that we can get in Wisconsin?
Spotted cow.
That's an important thing.
That's a very important thing.
Lawmakers in Wisconsin could change the law about Medicaid, and they could change the law about marijuana.
But in Illinois, no matter what their lawmakers do, they will never get spotted cow or the Green Bay Packers.
So we're kind of at an advantage that way.
Definitely.
Absolutely.
Our southern border, you're on it right now with me.
A special investigation from This Is Wisconsin with Civic Media.
Today, we're making a road trip to the southern border with Illinois.
This Is Wisconsin is going to investigate what is different on either side of that line.
Over here in Wisconsin, we have the most championship winning football team in the entire world.
We are the number one cheese producing state in the country.
We are always in the top three in terms of the fraction of our state that's employed in manufacturing.
But there are things that you can access only
in Illinois.
Medicaid.
access to marijuana, those are two very big things that we in Wisconsin want to access that we just don't have.
Over here, smoking weed means there's taxes that help to fund schools.
Here in Wisconsin, if you light up, you could be subject to a thousand dollar fine and six months in jail.
Over here in Illinois, they've expanded Medicaid, but on this side, Medicaid has not been expanded.
So Wisconsinites are paying for healthcare.
Is there anything that people in Illinois can't get that we can get in Wisconsin?
Spotted cow.
That's an important thing.
That's a very important thing.
Lawmakers in Wisconsin could change the law about Medicaid and they could change the law about marijuana.
But in Illinois, no matter what their lawmakers do, they will never get spotted cow or the Green Bay Packers.
So we're kind of at an advantage that way.
Definitely.
Absolutely.
