La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Before we get into it with David Crowley, since the interview was recorded a day prior to going live on air, I start things off with a a bit of a recap / preview of our conversation, and throw a little theory of mine out there on how AI data centers going up all over the place is likened to the 2013 Tom Cruise movie, Oblivion. As for Crowley, he stops in the studio and we discuss everything from housing challenges and budget management to Wisconsin and data centers, plus how he sets himself apart in a crowded field of candidates running for Wisconsin governor. But, since he’s the Milwaukee County Executive, and the city of La Crosse has been in a two-year debate on hiring an administrator, we selfishly started right there — on his job and his thoughts on how that position might fit in a city like La Crosse. From there, we got into Republicans in the state Legislature deciding to end work for the year on Feb. 19 — and what Crowley might do in this situation if he was governor right now. Would he publicly call out the early adjournment or would he be more like Giannis Antetokounmpo, and handle the situation mostly behind closed doors? We also brought up what seems like the word of the year: affordability. Crowley talks about how a state can manage costs vs. how the feds might handle things. That got us into how housing density can reduce the property tax burden and fuel economic development. We also spent a lot of time on data centers. Crowley balances the conversation here, defending the environment and the need for transparency while highlighting the potential for these companies to pay their way by upgrading the state's power grid and expanding broadband. The conversation digs into whether those trade-offs are worth it, especially considering the noise, the drain on resources, and the fact that these massive buildings provide very few jobs once they’re actually running. Lastly, since he’s one of seven major Democratic candidates, along with the lone Republican running for governor, Crowley is asked what sets himself apart. He points to his "receipts" in Madison — specifically the passage of Act 12 — to show he has the executive experience to actually negotiate with a Republican Legislature. We finish the conversation by looking to the general election and his potential opponent, US House Rep. Tom Tiffany, whom Crowley characterizes as a "lapdog" for national interests. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Defend, not repeat. That’s the motto this season for the No. 1-ranked UW-La Crosse gymnastics team, as they look for back-to-back National Championships. Coach Kasey Crawford, along with All-American juniors Paige Breckwoldt and Raina Christenson stopped in studio to talk about winning it all last year, who the best athletes are on campus, what makes their sport so tough and — again — trying to defend, not repeat winning it all. We also hype up a matchup at 6 p.m. Friday at the La Crosse Center with No. 3-ranked UW-Whitewater, and a special appearance by Maggie Nichols — a world champion gold medalist and was the first gymnast in NCAA history to earn a "Gym Slam" by scoring a perfect 10.0 on all four individual events. This is Crawford’s 10th season at UW-L, where she now has a title, plus three second-place and two third-place finishes nationally. Meanwhile, Christenson is the reigning National Champion and WIAC Champion on the beam and a two-time All-American, she made history earlier this season by becoming the first Eagle since 2018 to win an individual title at an NCAA Division I meet, taking first on beam at Northern Illinois. And Breckwoldt is a two-time All-American and a key force on vault, where she placed third at the National Championships last season. She has already proven to be a standout in 2026, recently sweeping the vault and floor exercise titles in the Eagles' victory over top-ranked UW-Oshkosh. Since recording, UW-L went from No. 2 to the top team in the national rankings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mac Kiel in studio recapping last week’s city council meeting, where both city administrator and what we call the “bike lanes” plan were both on the agenda. Now, what that plan really entailed was the council making a recommendation to the Wisconsin DOT for basically a revamp of downtown La Crosse from storefront to storefront between King and La Crosse streets. We talk about the “hybrid” plan that was selected — bike lanes on only two blocks north of downtown — and how it will impact downtown. We also discussed Pearl Street, including the farmers market moving there this upcoming season and what that area might look like as a pedestrian-only street — something we explored with economist Dr. Adam Hoffer last week. The second half of the show was dedicated to the city administrator plan(s) that didn’t pass the two-third majority last week. Kiel explained how the original charter ordinance, that’s been on the agenda since 2024 failed 0-13, and why the new plan was the one actually considered — and why just having the plan on the agenda has hampered the council. Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economist Dr. Adam Hoffer in studio to discuss some wild ideas we have, a day after the La Crosse council took votes on city administrator and the “bike lanes” plan for downtown. Hoffer, the director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation, helps brainstorms some new ideas for La Crosse, like turning Pearl Street and King Street into greenways — basically turning them into parks. We also break down what’s been called the “hybrid option” for downtown La Crosse. The council is recommending that plan to the Wisconsin DOT, which is preparing to revamp downtown from storefront to storefront starting in 2030. We end the show by breaking down the city administrator proposal, including the cost of the position, plus how the city could go about having a position like that to make government more efficient in different ways. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Jill Billings hopped on La Crosse Talk PM on Wednesday from Madison to describe what she called the most chaotic end to a legislative session of her 15-year career. Most of the conversation centered on the volume of bills moving through committee and the frenetic pace for lawmakers, staff, and lobbyists, as Republicans have scheduled legislative work to conclude for the rest of 2026 on Feb. 19 ahead of the upcoming campaign season. In these final days, Billings has seen three of her bills pass through committee and hopes they receive a vote from the full Legislature and reach the governor’s desk. The bills that cleared committee were AB 1000 out of Children and Families, while AB 957 and AB 958 passed through Criminal Justice and Public Safety. Billings is also hoping to see her Water Notification Act advance — a bill that would require the DNR to notify local health departments within seven days of discovering contaminated well water. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) joins as a midnight Friday deadline looms to fund the Department of Homeland Security and rein in what she describes as "unidentified, masked, armed, untrained agents" roaming residential streets. The negotiations come in the wake of the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a Green Bay Preble High School graduate and ICU nurse, who was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month. Baldwin, who recently honored Pretti on the Senate floor, is calling the current federal activity "chaos" and is demanding "common sense guardrails" be added to the DHS funding bill. Baldwin is calling on these agents to "take the masks off and put their body cams on" and stop "roving patrols" that target people who "look different." She argues that these federal units must be held to the same "rules of engagement" and "basic rules of conduct" as local law enforcement. The Senator also breaks down her opposition to the GOP-backed SAVE Act, labeling it an "effort on the part of this administration to intimidate voters." Baldwin warns one part of the bill would "disenfranchise people who take their husbands' names" because their current IDs often don't match their birth certificates. Baldwin calls the legislation "crazy the way in which they are trying to make it more difficult to vote" and says the plan has no chance of passing the Senate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To bike lane or not to bike lane? That’s one of the questions La Crosse's city council will answer Thursday at its monthly meeting. If that isn't enough, the council will also vote on whether to hire a city administrator. Council President Tamra Dickinson stopped in studio to help break down the legislation and discuss some other city business. Before getting into bike lanes and the administrator position, Dickinson gave us the rundown on recent airport news, including Thursday's upcoming confirmation of new director Lauren Koss and two new airlines launching service in La Crosse. Dickinson also talked about the La Crosse Fire Department working with Tri-State Ambulance to provide EMTs three nights a week. After that, we dove into the city administrator decision — which involves two “charter ordinances” for a position the council has put off multiple times since September 2024. The first ordinance, created in 2024, received no recommendation from the committee last week, while a new ordinance passed through committee with a 7-0 vote. We closed out the show discussing the Highway 53 Corridor Project, where the Wisconsin DOT will tear up downtown La Crosse down 3rd and 4th streets, storefront to storefront. There are three plans the council could recommend to the DOT: one without bike lanes, one with bike lanes down both 3rd and 4th, and a hybrid plan that features two blocks of bike lanes north of downtown. We also talked about where the roundabout on La Crosse Street fits into that plan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From 8k to 100-miles, we covered the distance runners with UW-La Crosse national champions, Aidan and Grant Matthai, and ultramarathoner Julia Hartig in studio. The Matthais are in the midst of trying to win back-to-back triple crowns — winning national titles in cross county, plus indoor and outdoor track. So far, the seniors have four wrapped up, as they’re in the midst of indoor season. Meanwhile, Hartig is coming off winning La Crosse’s Hixon 50 and breaking the course record in the Midwest States 100K, as she gears up for multiple ultramarathons this spring. On the show, we talk about the emotions leading up to winning — and losing — a national championship, what you eat before a big race and the mindset you need to run an 8K vs. a 100K. We also talk about “The Mahthai Twins” channel on YouTube, and their recently released documentary “The Road to Repeat,” chronicling winning last fall’s cross country national title. The origins of that channel are funny, as it didn’t start because of running and one of the most popular videos on there is “Cell Analogy - How an Animal Cell is Like a School,” from eight years ago. That video only needs about 3,000 more views to be their most popular one ever. We also joke about being identical twins — as both the Matthais and Hartigs are just that — and how that hasn’t seemed to pay off in their running careers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covered a lot with Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska), including the GOP-led Legislature ending its work for the year by Feb. 19. We looked at bills butting up against that clock to legalize recreational marijuana, ban cellphones in schools, and exempt tips from taxes — thought Pfaff would like to see that coupled with raising the minimum wage. We also discussed the situation with ICE in Wisconsin and whether the Legislature could implement regulations, such as banning agents from wearing masks. Additionally, Pfaff talked about passing "Bubba’s Law." Bubba’s Fund recently got funding to provide defibrillators to every childcare facility in the city of La Crosse and Pfaff now wants to see the $1 million initiative expanded statewide. Pfaff acknowledged that many of the bills he’d like to see pass won’t move forward with Republicans keeping such a short legislative clock. He also broke down why "no-brainer" legislation — like securing defibrillators for all state childcare facilities — likely won’t clear the GOP, nor will any kind of legal marijuana. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Measles is making a comeback, chicken pox hides in your brain and — once more — we discuss why vaccines don’t cause autism with immunologist Dr. Chris Mayne. The Viterbo University biology professor joins us as Wisconsin sees its first case of measles — a University of Wisconsin student — and as outbreaks occur in ICE detention facilities and in various states — mostly amongst kids. Mayne explains that measles is the most contagious virus known to man — there are already more cases in 2026 than in all of 2024 — how vaccine hesitancy is fueling a resurgence, and why the virus is so dangerous. Mayne also explains how the autism-vaccine hoax began. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lame ducks and property tax breaks, Coulee Region Burger Kings breaking child labor laws, and putting a "K" in Kornfest with UW-La Crosse political science professor Dr. Anthony Chergosky in studio. Does the political scientist know the origins of the phrase lame duck? No, we had to tell him but Chergosky does explain the situation President Donald Trump and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers are currently in as wobbly ducks, and how it affects their agendas getting passed. Before we dive into that, though, WIZM's Brad Williams helps start the show to break down Holmen’s Kornfest being canceled and now, possibly, back on for August. Williams also talks about the La Crosse airport getting its first Allegiant Air flight from Arizona just hours before. After that, Chergosky explains the BK child labor violations that include locations in La Crosse, Onalaska, Holmen, Sparta, Black River Falls, and Tomah. We also discuss how these violations could be used politically in an election year, especially following recent Republican efforts to relax state child labor laws. The second half of the show focuses on Evers and Wisconsin Republicans attempting to negotiate a plan on property tax breaks — or at least pretending to do so. That led to talks about Evers and Trump being lame ducks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Tara Johnson in studio to discuss the mere 19 days Republicans have scheduled for the Legislature to work this year. While kidding to an extent, the Republican majority intends to end the 2026 session by Feb. 19, meaning a slew of bills have very little time to clear the floor. Johnson offered a bit of a civics lesson on how members try to get bills passed, how they co-sponsor colleagues’ legislation, and if any Democratic-authored proposals might actually make it to a vote. We also recap her first year in office and how she has prioritized being available to her constituents throughout the district. Regarding legislative hurdles, Johnson highlighted some of the culture war issues Republicans are pushing — like making English the official language — while arguing that affordability should be the top priority. That led to a conversation about tax on tips and what Johnson actually thought should have been in that GOP bill. Johnson also speculated that Republicans might try to use up the budget surplus before Democrats potentially take control of the Legislature next year. Lastly, we touched on the governor’s race following Josh Schoemann exiting the field. That leaves Tom Tiffany as the lone major Republican in the race, while Democrats have seven candidates vying to win the August primary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The stated goal is to “reduce recidivism,” but in talking to Colin Walsh, manager of Project Proven, it’s about more than that. The Western Technical College program works to break the cycle of incarceration by providing a clear pathway back to normalcy. For those trying to reset, it’s as much about finding a social outlet and a community as it is about earning a degree.Walsh, who spent 11 years working inside the La Crosse County Jail before taking over the program, understands that stability requires a support system. Project Proven works across La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, and Jackson counties to help people navigate everything from GED prep to college enrollment. But it’s the community side where the program really stands out. Through initiatives like the Rec Club, which organizes sober community outings, and the Leadership Group, which focuses on community advocacy, the program helps people build a new social circle. By focusing on these connections, Project Proven has helped drop the local recidivism rate to around 37% — nearly half the national average. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We get a little “old curmudgeon” with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio Friday with the cellphone ban and movie theatre talk — since we didn’t have cellphones in school and couldn’t reserve recliner seats back in the day. We also dive into lawsuits against the major social media companies, examining claims that they’re additive and cause personal injury — litigation that could put Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and other high-profile owners, on the stand. In the Wisconsin governor’s race, we discuss President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Republican Tom Tiffany, which led Josh Schoemann to drop out — leaving just one major GOP candidate while Democrats have seven in the running. We also explore whether endorsements actually help and if Gov. Tony Evers will weigh in. In regards to Wisconsin government, last session, Gov. Evers did sign a cellphone ban, but as the Legislature races to Feb. 19 to be done with its work for all of 2026, one of the bills is to ban cellphones from “bell to bell.” So, we talk about how that might affect students, how it takes away local control and if lawmakers and parents now — vs. 10 years from now — might see a cellphone ban very differently, having grown up without one in school. Regarding our cellphone ban conversation, as the Legislature races to a Feb. 19 deadline to be done for the rest of 2026, we dissect a new proposal. While Gov. Evers previously signed a limited cellphone ban, this new bill aims to take them out of students’ hands from “bell to bell.” We analyze how cellphones affect students, the loss of local control and how perspectives on phone bans could change between generations — lawmakers 10 years from now wouldn’t know life without a cellphone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse School Board president Deb Suchla in studio discussing naming the new elementary school, what to do with the old buildings in the district, plus the district's unique intra-city rivalry and the “400-year veto” of taking $325 in per pupil funding. With the demolition of the 125-year-old Hogan building now underway, Suchla outlines the timeline and process to naming the elementary school that will eventually house Emerson and Spence students. The process starts with community surveys in February, with a goal to have the name, mascot, and colors finalized by this summer. That process could also cover State Road Elementary, which is going through renovations. Suchla explains that with Hintgen students moving to that site this fall, the board wants to find a name that represents both merging student bodies so it feels like a unified school rather than one group just moving into another's building. The district is looking for names that are neutral and inclusive, with a specific policy against naming buildings after living people. Looking further ahead, Suchla discusses the district's long-term roadmap on both building consolidation and potential upgrades, as a referendum retires in 2033. This includes weighing options for aging middle schools built in the 1930s and modernizing high school spaces, like science labs and technical arts shops, to keep the district competitive for area families. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A week ahead of the La Crosse common council voting on creating a city administrator position, there’s dueling legislation on the matter. City Council member Aron Newberry stopped in studio to discuss his separate proposal for creating the position. Also joining the conversation is Mac Kiel, helping break down that role, plus what’s happening in city government throughout February. The city admin position has been a topic of study and discussion within La Crosse government for about two years now. Newberry presents his charter ordinance proposal as a more simplified version versus the one the council put on the February agenda last spring. With Kiel, aside from the city admin debate, we talk about the airport landing United Airlines and how the council next week will vote to confirm Lauren Koss as the official airport director. We also discuss the Wisconsin DOT’s hybrid plan for downtown La Crosse, which is currently going through committee. Lastly, Kiel brings up two other items: the Feb. 5 Executive Committee meeting happening right before the monthly council vote — which could provide a way to publicly discuss the city admin position further — and a special strategic planning meeting happening Feb. 18. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tearing up downtown La Crosse from storefront to storefront for bike lanes, extended sidewalks, a roundabout and more is the plan. Michelle Howe, major study supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, joins the show to help break it down, along with two other projects underway in La Crosse. Howe, the major studies supervisor for the DOT Southwest Region, discusses their "hybrid" recommendation for the Highway 53 corridor — a compromise designed to keep all on-street parking between King and Vine streets while introducing sidewalk-level bike lanes from Vine to La Crosse Street. These would be the first sidewalk-level bike lanes ever featured on a Wisconsin state highway. The plan also includes a new roundabout at the Highway 53-La Crosse Street intersection to serve as a traffic-calming "gateway" to downtown. With a planning horizon looking out to the year 2050, the downtown work is currently slated to begin in 2030. Sticking with downtown, we also threw a couple of random thoughts at Howe, including the feasibility of adding EV infrastructure when everything is torn up and if the DOT has ever considered turning downtown back into two-way traffic. Howe also provides updates on the preliminary design for the WIS 35 (George Street/Lang Drive) plan, plus the early-stage study for the Highway 16 corridor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Missy Hughes stopped in studio on a frigid Friday to discuss her bid for Wisconsin governor. We began by talking about her background leading the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for six years under Gov. Tony Evers and her 17 years as general counsel for Organic Valley. Then we got into her newly released “Unlock Wisconsin” economic plan, which proposes specific targets for housing, job training and small business creation. Hughes notes she is the only Democratic candidate in the field who isn’t from Madison or Milwaukee and hasn’t run for office before. Drawing on Viroqua her roots and her tenure at Organic Valley, we talked about how she tries to get through to rural voters, who typically lean Republican. Other topics included setting herself apart from the field, and GOP candidate Tom Tiffany. We also hit on the state’s estimated $4 billion budget surplus, plus what her priorities might be if she wins the governor’s race alongside a Democratic majority in the Legislature. We ended the conversation by getting her take on data centers, which are a growing presence in Wisconsin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rivoli Theatre co-owners Clara and Jon Gelatt in studio discussing the changing landscape of movies — stemming from Matt Damon’s criticism of Netflix — a YouTuber’s horror film coming soon thanks to fan emails and how they stay relevant with community events ranging from politics to the outdoors. One of the nice things about going to a theatre is you’re basically commanded to put your phone away. We talked about comments recently by Damon suggesting movies are now being made to be the "second screen" — dumbing down the film because people aren’t paying attention. This led to Jon’s "research" on the ideal movie runtime. While long epics like Lord of the Rings have their place, Jon breaks down why 90 minutes is the sweet spot for both viewers and theatre owners, and why the 110-to-130 minute range is often a "cursed" era for film quality. On the flip side, fan requests have brought YouTuber Mark Fischbach’s film Iron Lung to the Rivoli at the end of the month. We talk about that changing landscape, plus how they decided to give the go ahead on bringing a YouTuber’s film to the big screen. Before that happens, Jon will host another Cult Movie Night on Saturday — if you want to get out of the house, despite the cold — featuring a 16-year-old Tom Cruise in Legend (1985) and a 36-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Destroyer (1984). Beyond these unique ways to get people to the theatre, we also previewed the upcoming La Crosse Adventure Film (LAF) event and post-viewed the Civics and Cinema discussion. LAF happens Feb. 6 — a free event thanks to the Beer By Bike Brigade, B.L.A.C.K. and ORA Trails. It is at capacity, but check with LAF to get on the wait list — featuring multiple short films about the outdoors, including one about, coincidentally enough, Greenland. We also recapped the Civics and Cinema series that happened earlier this week, where they watched The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The viewing was followed by a civics conversation led by Sam Scinta and Rick Kyte as part of the Rebuilding American Civics series with Viterbo’s D.B. Reinhart Institute. Lastly, we talked about the perks of owning a theatre — 2 a.m. movies all to yourself, unlimited popcorn, Christmas gatherings or playing MarioKart on the big screen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-Oshkosh's Dr. Mike Ford, Director of the Whitburn Center of Governance and Policy Research, joins to break down everything "city administrator," ahead of next month's council vote on creating the position. Ford explains why La Crosse is currently in the minority among Wisconsin cities of its size and addresses the growing "nationalization" of local politics. We dive into where Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey and the city council are at in the process of making a decision, plus some of the lead up to getting here. We also look at the true cost of a $250,000 salary, and why Ford warns against "reinventing the wheel" when it comes to the city’s charter ordinance. Last week, Washington-Spivey said he hopes next month's vote on creating the city admin position fails, so La Crosse can do more study on crafting the position — the ordinance the city is putting forward is over a decade old. We also look at how professional leadership can actually increase democratic accountability rather than dilute it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.