Melissa Baldauff
Desperate Measures (1st Hour)
On its final day in session, the state Senate’s Republican leadership fired several more of Gov. Tony Evers’ appointees—not for any reason, just because they can. It’s a last gasp from the last group of gerrymandered legislators before new maps make races more competitive for voters.
Bad Climate for a Responsible GOP (1st Hour)
Despite the bluster of denialists, there are plenty of Republicans who understand the science of a changing climate—and they also see the economic opportunities in a cleaner, greener economy. But just as their numbers are growing to a respectable level, along comes Donald Trump who is now not only a danger to the environment but to his party’s prospects in November.
A Big, Bold Step Toward Cleaner Air (1st Hour)
We’ll review some positive environmental news, as the EPA reduces the allowable amount of the kind of air pollution that’s especially small and especially harmful. And Republican legislators do an about-face and approve new maps proposed by Gov. Tony Evers—but is it a trap?
A Future for Labor in the Green Economy (1st Hour)
Andrew Disch from the Regional Council of Carpenters joins Melissa Baldauff in our weekly Climate Check segment to illustrate the ways labor unions are ensuring that the upcoming wave of clean energy jobs has great pay, benefits, and opportunities available to people at any skill level.
A Changing Climate—in the Voting Booth (1st Hour)
It’s not just our mild winter right now, it’s the unending series of reminders that our planet has been heating up, causing significant problems—that has caused climate concerns to become an important issue among voters. Also: Gov. Tony Evers takes a big red pen to the Republicans’ latest attempt to protect themselves in any new, fairer maps for voters.
Weaknesses on Defense (1st Hour)
First it was the Milwaukee Bucks firing their coach because of defensive shortcomings. Then it was the Green Bay Packers firing their defensive coordinator. Then it was Republicans in the Legislature getting defensive about the prospect of new Assembly and Senate boundaries, to the point where they rushed a new map that replaced one gerrymandered set of lines with another.
State of the ‘State of the State’ (1st Hour)
In a world dominated by online videos and hashtags, we’ll ask: How is the State of the State still a thing? Is there still a place for old-fashioned speechifying in our capitols? Also, Melissa Baldauff has this week’s Climate Change update—including the role of climate policy in a State of the State address.
2023 Special: Joe & Melissa Together
We normally talk to Melissa Baldauff on Wednesdays and Joe Zepecki on Thursdays. But this time our favorite married guests join us together to talk life and love in their world of political and policy strategy.
Still Wanted: One House Speaker (Hour 1)
We literally had to jump into this show description, delete the old version and start over after the Republicans’ latest candidate for Speaker of the House was nominated Tuesday morning—and pulled out of the race on Tuesday afternoon. We’ll try to keep up as GOP members keep rejecting their own until they’re left with… what?
Power Play? More Like a Tantrum (Hour 1)
In an unprecedented display of disdain for citizen service in Wisconsin, Republicans in the state Senate on Tuesday fired eight of Gov. Tony Evers’ appointees—leaving the Natural Resources Board without a quorum and dumping our Wednesday visitor Melissa Baldauff, a domestic abuse survivor, from the governor’s Council on Domestic Abuse. She tells us the sexism put on display by one senator, a former police chief.
