Citizen Action of North Central Organizing Cooperative

06/17/2026

No one should have to choose between next month's rent and hospital visit. But right now, families are cutting back on essentials, hoping nothing gets worse.

A BadgerCare Publiic Option means less costs and more of our neighbors covered. A high quality BadgerCare Public Option health care plan would be available for purchase on the Affordable Care Act marketplace by all Wisconsinites, regardless of income level, with sliding scale premium subsidies based on income.

Small businesses and non-profits with 50 employees or less could for the first time afford to offer high quality employer-sponsored coverage for their employees at an affordable rate.
Free Eligibility includes:

• Families of 4 earning up to $64,300
• Individuals earning up to $31,300

Take Action send email to your state legislators supporting the BadgerCare Public Option bill >> https://secure.ngpvan.com/7oeGm7UqbUKHLS1LTnblhg2

To join our campaign, contact: [email protected]

06/16/2026

Looks like Peggy from Tomahawk, Wisconsin is not the only person who had to divorce her husband to get healthcare coverage. (This billboard is in Eau Claire, We also have billboards in Wausau. If you see one please take picture and send message us.)

A high quality BadgerCare Public Option health care plan would be available for purchase on the Affordable Care Act marketplace by all Wisconsinites, regardless of income level, with sliding scale premium subsidies based on income.

Small businesses and non-profits with 50 employees or less could for the first time afford to offer high quality employer-sponsored coverage for their employees at an affordable rate.

Free Eligibility includes:

• Families of 4 earning up to $64,300
• Individuals earning up to $31,300

Take Action send email to your state legislators supporting the BadgerCare Public Option bill >> https://secure.ngpvan.com/7oeGm7UqbUKHLS1LTnblhg2

To join our campaign, contact: [email protected]

06/11/2026

Following the Tick Report, Robert updates us on Trump’s pattern in Iran of threatening escalation and then pulling back.

Wisconsin unveiled its new procedures for dealing with BadgerCare work requirements in the Big Ugly Bill. But the Trump/Kennedy HHS’s last minute changes to the final rule makes it much worse than the language of the bill, risking coverage for people with serious conditions such as life threatening cancer. With health care at risk for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites, including people too frail to work, is Wisconsin prepared? We revisit the last minute budget gimmick engineered by the big hospital lobby, Evers, and Vos but disallowed by the Trump Regime.

Listen now >> https://soundcloud.com/citizen-action-of-wi/bg744

We dive into a new Brookings Report finding 45.5% of U.S. households did not earn enough to make ends meet. The report concludes that moving the needle on affordability requires action on both sides of the equation: lowering costs of living and dramatically increasing household incomes. We preview 4 newly scheduled $20 Wage Town Halls in Fond du Lac, Madison, and two in the Milwaukee.

We close with an in-depth interview with Bryan Rogers, the environmental justice director at Milwaukee’s Walnut Way. Bryan, who is a regular podcast listener, tells us more about Walnut Way and discusses why they are co-hosting a governor candidate forum on Saturday, June 27th, 10am at North Division High School. Bryan explains why their members are so deeply involved in fighting climate change and higher utility costs that fall disproportionately on predominantly Black neighborhoods in Milwaukee.

Listen to the show >> https://soundcloud.com/citizen-action-of-wi/bg744

Following the Tick Report, Robert updates us on Trump's pattern in Iran of threatening escalation and then pulling back. Wisconsin unveiled its new procedures for dealing with BadgerCare work requi

06/10/2026

Moving the needle on affordability requires action on both sides of the equation: lowering costs of living and increasing household incomes.

When the costs for housing, health care, education, and food rise faster than wages, families fall behind not because they are failing, but because the math no longer works in their favor....

Yet as it stands, the cost of living will never be affordable if wages do not substantially increase. Evidence shows that even though U.S. productivity nearly doubled between 1979 and 2025, average hourly pay increased by only 34%.

In other words, productivity gains have concentrated wealth among capital owners and the highest-earning Americans, hollowing out the middle class rather than driving broad-based wage growth."

Read more from The Brookings Institution >> https://www.brookings.edu/articles/states-of-affordability-a-series-on-where-and-why-us-households-struggle-to-make-ends-meet/
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Let workers fight the high cost of living with their labor.

Take action, send email to your State legislators urging them to support the $20 Wage bill >> https://secure.ngpvan.com/ay2gKXWeqEaTXBquBV61qQ2

Join our organizing in support of the bill, contact: [email protected]

06/09/2026

Healthcare is too damn expensive!

No one should have to choose between groceries and healthcare.

Take Action, send an email to your state legislators urging them to support the BadgerCare Public Option bill >> https://secure.ngpvan.com/7oeGm7UqbUKHLS1LTnblhg2

06/08/2026

Joey Marschall is a Citizen Action member from Waushara County and supports a BadgerCare Public Option because healthcare is too damn expansive!

Joey works two jobs and neither provides him health care.
Joey says:

"When the ACA subsidies were taken away, my premium went from just under $300 a month to $1000 a month.

Like many people I can not afford that type of increase so I unfortunately am currently without health care along with thousands of others in Wisconsin."

A BadgerCare Public Option: Less Cost. More neighbors covered.

Learn more about the bill >> https://citizenactionwi.org/badgercare-public-option/

Email to your state legislators urging they support the bill >> https://secure.ngpvan.com/7oeGm7UqbUKHLS1LTnblhg2

06/05/2026

Join us TOMORROW, Saturday, June 6th, 10am.

This annual meeting is taking place virtually. Once you sign up, you’ll receive a confirmation email. You will receive the Zoom link via email tomorrow morning.

RSVP now >> https://secure.ngpvan.com/9RBNTPwj9kWcJr_wuixKyw2

06/04/2026

Welcome to June, it’s Pride Month!

We encourage our listeners to RSVP to Citizen Action’s Annual Meeting this Saturday, at 10am.

Robert gives us the latest tick report amid national concern about tick-borne illnesses. Spurred by global warming, tick activity continues to surge in Wisconsin while the national media descends on Martha Vineyard as the island is beset by ticks, and victims are forced to avoid red meat.

Listen now >> https://soundcloud.com/citizen-action-of-wi/bg743

Trump visits Western Wisconsin, the home of Wisconsin’s pivotal Congressional District 3. Is he an anchor on embattled MAGA incumbent Derrick Van Orden and other Republicans on the ballot or does Trump know how to generate a massive turnout of MAGA voters?

We dive into a critically important Wisconsin Health Assessment, a periodic report mandated by the State Legislature.Rarely do such radical findings come from an official state government report. This year’s report finds that a stunning 1 in 10 Wisconsinites skipped needed health care due to cost. The report also contains shocking revelations on low wages, the growing unaffordability of housing, massive under investment in public education (especially in low income BIPOC majority schools), and a chronic under investment in public health. Will the next legislature act on this searing indictment of status quo policies or kick the can down the road?

Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Organization president Peter Rickman joins us to discuss the state health assessment, building worker power, and to update us on newly scheduled $20 Wage Town Halls in Fond du Lac, Madison, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, and more locations.

We close with news that Boss Vos vows to try again on the failed surplus budget deal. With Governor Evers continuing to complain about the failure of the first effort, will they get another kick at the cat?

Listen now >> https://soundcloud.com/citizen-action-of-wi/bg743

06/03/2026

Citizen Action's executive director, Robert Kraig, appears on 1410 WIZM - La Crosse's News Station Rick Solem Show to discuss: Trump’s $1.778 billion “slush fund”, the $1 billion in taxpayer dollars for a ballroom, The Iran war and prices, and more.

We honed in on a couple of President Donald Trump’s pet projects and rehashed the state’s failed budget surplus deal Tuesday on the Rick Solem Show with Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s Robert Kraig. Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on ...

06/02/2026

Work for Citizen Action. We are hiring an organizer for North Central Wisconsin!

Read more >>

Citizen Action of Wisconsin seeks applicants hungry for the opportunity to lead people centered power building campaigns to achieve the sweeping changes