The Democratic Voice Podcast

Viroqua native Missy Hughes joined the Democratic Voice podcast, with La Crosse County Democratic Party chair William Garcia and WIZM’s Rick Solem, to discuss why she’s running for governor of Wisconsin. 

The Democrat discusses what sets her apart from the dozen candidates running on both sides, plus her top priorities for the state if she were governor.  That list includes education, childcare, healthcare and...

Wisconsin state Sen. Kelda Roys was recently in La Crosse and took some time with us to discuss her bid to be the next governor. We deep dive with Roys on funding education, helping with childcare and buying into the state's healthcare and pension plans. We also discuss how control of the Legislature and governor is on the line and how some Republican legislation is changing, including on IVF, which Roys explains is hypocritical &m...

While the Wisconsin state Legislature works just 17 more days before taking off until 2027, it did vote on around 50 bills in one day.

We discuss some of the Republican bills are simply passed for culture war purposes to be used during the campaign season with the governor’s seat up for grabs in November.

Those bills include defunding public education, redefining abortion, using undocumented immigrants as pawns in healthcare,...

We discuss how a Wisconsin bill to help pregnant mothers get healthcare is related to the fight over releasing the Epstein Files.

The bill would allow pregnant mothers to get postpartum Medicaid coverage for 12 months. Wisconsin is one of only two states not to do this. 

How it’s related to the Epstein Files is the way Democrats tried to push the bill to a vote, bypassing Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has &m...

We discuss some of the ongoing controversies surrounding President Donald Trump that aren’t related to the Epstein files. That includes Trump pretending he’s going to just give people money — from $2,000 tariff checks to “Trumpcare” cash, the healthcare plan that still doesn’t exist.

We also discuss the lunacy of 50-year mortgages to solve the housing crisis and the controversial pardons Trump is...

Democrats are riding high after last Tuesday's elections, with wins at multiple levels of government across the country — from the New York City mayor's race to Prop 50 in California to US House and governor wins in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. Is it a sign of things to come, despite being an off-off year election? Do Republicans need to change course or was this a blip on the radar?

This conversation was recorded F...

We discuss Republicans’ unwillingness to lower healthcare costs and reopen the government. The fight right now over the shutdown is healthcare subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. We breakdown the thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, more in healthcare costs families will have to pay if Republicans get their way in reopening the government with the continuing resolution.

Along those same lines, Republicans are us...

We recap the No Kings Rally that happened in La Crosse, across Wisconsin and the U.S. and relate that to what Republican priorities are right now — like Donald Trump getting his ballroom. At least 1,700 showed up for La Crosse's No Kings rally. We talk about some of the reasons behind having these protests and why it's important to keep showing up, despite the GOP rhetoric trying to denounce them. On top of that, we point out...

While the Donald Trump looks to bail out Argentina with $20 billion in taxpayer money, we look at how the administration’s tariff policy is affecting Wisconsin farmers.

China has retaliated against tariffs by not buying any U.S. soybeans — instead buying from the aforementioned Argentina. This podcast was also recorded before Trump announced quadrupling Argentine beef imports while US ranchers fume.

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We break down how Democrats are trying to hold the line negotiating during the government shutdown to keep health insurance costs down, while Republicans continue to lie. The GOP, in charge of the entire government, is somehow trying to blame Democrats for the shutdown. We get into those lies and what Democrats are trying to hold the line on when it comes to Affordable Care Act subsidies and how those keep all health insurance cost...

From over 700 social media posts in a matter of days to an unconstitutional bill proposed in the US House, Derrick Van Orden's behavior has been unhinged — even more so than usual. We discuss the Republican's double-standard when it comes to political violence, the unhealthy amount of social media he is posting and the bill he proposed to block federal funding for those that employ people who "condone and celebrate political ...

We start things off recapping JD Vance's visit to La Crosse, avoiding protesters by veering the wrong way down a one way street, plus Derrick Van Orden's involvement in the event. 

Vance was in La Crosse touting the Big Beautiful Bill.

After that, we get into this giant stretch of political visits to the area. That includes Wisconsin governor candidate, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez heading to La Crosse for a meet-and-greet at the C...

We try and highlight some of Donald Trump's biggest controversies eight months into this presidency.

But, with Trump's "flood the zone" strategy, we did not discuss his latest authoritarian move to send the military after US citizens in D.C.

What we did hit on included:

• The $200 million White House ballroom
• Giving Trump a $1.4 billion jet after he leaves office
• ICE arresting regular workers instead of criminals
• Trump firing la...

Republicans in Texas are trying to help steal the 2026 mid-terms by rigging their US House maps more than they already are — and redrawing the maps five years before they're supposed to be redrawn. We break down the plan and how states like California and Illinois would have trouble combatting this on the Democratic side. We then tie that all into Wisconsin's gerrymandered maps, where there is another lawsuit to redraw them. ...

He beat Scott Walker, then Republicans — in the month before Tony Evers took power — changed all the rules. It wasn't a great way for the GOP to begin a relationship with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. As he announced he won't seek re-election for a third term, we look back on Evers' legacy, how he managed to work with and around Republicans, how Democrats have dominated dominated statewide elections since and what comes n...

The US House recently passed The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or TOBBA. We break down how the 1,100-page document, passed in the middle of the night, will disproportionally harm working class people while being a wealth transfer to the rich. It cuts Medicaid and SNAP, sends billions more to the military, cuts taxes for the rich, raises taxes on the poor and has little provisions within it like tax breaks for gun silencers and tannin...

The Wisconsin state budget is due at the end of next month. Wisconsin Republicans stripped over 600 of Gov. Tony Evers’ provisions from it. 

Things like legalizing recreational marijuana, continuing the child care subsidy, creating a tax bracket for those making over $1 million or funding for water quality — from removing lead or fighting PFAS. 

Since this podcast, Evers did meet in person twice with the top t...