From Alleged Racism to Recess: The Latest in Wisconsin Politics

Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey opened the show with a mix of newsletter chatter and NFC North pettiness, reacting to Bears head coach Ben Johnson cursing out the Packers after their playoff win, before pivoting to Wisconsin politics. They unpacked backlash after the Wisconsin GOP mistakenly used a photo of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in a post attacking Mandela Barnes — an error some critics viewed as racially charged — and debated Lieutenant Governor Sarah Rodriguez’s call to bar immigration enforcement from public and private spaces, with questions about the actual power of the governor and ICE. The conversation then turned to multiple constitutional amendments expected on the 2026 ballot, with both hosts criticizing legislative dysfunction that forces voters to decide complex issues, and concerns over transparency after WisEye lost funding and Republicans revived an old law banning public recordings in the Capitol. The second hour lightened slightly with discussion of a bipartisan bill to extend school recess to 60 minutes, reflections on childhood recess and yearbooks, and a wide-ranging “Ask Us Anything” segment covering ICE, Greenland, Steve’s time as mayor of Oak Creek, parking lots, TV habits, Aldi, and America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.