Citizen Action Weekend ’26 Newsletter, Friday, April 3rd
Citizen Action of Wisconsin on the detention of Salah Sarsour
Robert Kraig, Executive Director
“The arrest of longtime Milwaukee activist and faith leader Salah Sarsour by federal immigration agents brings close to home the Trump Regime’s frontal assault on core constitutional rights,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
“Sarsour, the President of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and a mentor to many influential members of our community, is an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights and a free Palestine. It is impossible to believe that his arrest is not retaliation for his advocacy and constitutionally protected speech.
We call on everyone who believes in freedom and equality to demand Sarsour’s immediate release and to join the peaceful civil resistance to the Trump Regime’s illegal crackdown on our fundamental freedoms and human rights.”
Vote in 2026 Spring Election, next Tuesday, April 7th
For more information about registering to vote at your polling location or finding your polling location.
See list of Citizen Action of Wisconsin endorsed candidates.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin at No Kings
Attend Citizen Action’s Wisconsin Governor’s forum on April 14th, 6pm
Citizen Action is excited to invite you to our Governor Candidate Forum!
Join us virtually or join us at a watch party! Either way, make sure to join us April 14th at 6pm!
We’re ready to give folks the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates about values such as healthcare, climate change, democracy, and more.
RSVP by April 13th and make sure to share with your fellow Wisconsinites!
Groundbreaking Health Care Legislation, the BadgerCare Public Option discussed at media event in Wauwatosa.
This Monday, Citizen Action North Side Rising members joined state legislators and other advocates in Wauwatosa to fight for affordable healthcare with the passage of the BadgerCare Public Option bill, which represents the most comprehensive healthcare reform proposal introduced in Wisconsin this session.
The legislation would open Wisconsin’s trusted BadgerCare program to anyone who lacks adequate employer-sponsored coverage. It expands eligibility well beyond traditional Medicaid Expansion, including families of four earning up to $64,300 or individuals earning up to $31,300. Those with higher incomes could purchase coverage at cost and apply Affordable Care Act subsidies to lower their premiums.
In addition, small businesses—only about one-third of which can currently afford to offer health insurance to their workers—would be able to buy into BadgerCare at significantly lower cost and without the high deductibles and frequent claim denials typical of private insurance. This would greatly strengthen the competitiveness of small businesses in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin.
Lead sponsor State Rep. Representative Tara Johnson joined State Representative Supreme Moore Omokunde, State Representative Robyn Vining, State Representative Karen Kirsch, State Representative Ryan Clancy, State Representative Deb Andraca along with State Senator Dora Drake, State Senator Chris Larson and with Milwaukee area advocates from Main Street Alliance.
Take action today to support the bill!
Watch video of speakers:
- Representative Tara Johnson tells the story of Indiana, who lives in Western Wisconsin, and has a traumatic brain injury that requires consistent, quality healthcare coverage but she is currently not eligible for BadgerCare. Indiana says living life without healthcare is exhausting.
- State Representative Supreme Moore Omokunde tells us about the significant impact a BadgerCare Public Option could have on the health of Wisconsinites.
- State Representative Karen Kirsch tells us that healthcare is a human right.
- Senator Chris Larson, who lays out how the federal cuts to healthcare have made the passage of a BadgerCare Public Option is so crucial for working families and small businesses in Wisconsin.
- Amanda Makulec, a small business owner with the Main Street Alliance, who spoke about why the bill is so important for small business owners.
- State Representative Robyn Vining, who welcomed us to her district.
Citizen Action Statewide Healthcare Action Team Update
We are in the middle of phase one of our BadgerCare Public Option campaign, and teams across the state are taking action to educate their communities about how this bill can deliver real, meaningful change for healthcare in Wisconsin.
Upcoming events:
- La Crosse Media Event – Tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 21st (location TBD)
- Superior Healthcare Town Hall – Tuesday, April 28, 5:30–6:45 PM
Superior Public Library - Ashland Healthcare Town Hall – Wednesday, April 29, 6:30–8:30 PM (location TBD)
- Green Bay Media Event – Wed May 6th followed by an Appleton Town Hall – (Tent. May 6th with location and times TBD)
Many of our organizers and members were out in full force at No Kings Day last Saturday throughout Wisconsin.
The Driftless team focused specifically on BadgerCare Public Option as a statewide solution to the disastrous policies of Trump and Congressional republicans. The Driftless team collected petition signatures and urged protest attendees to share their healthcare stories and call or email their state legislators. We were joined by lead author of BadgerCare Public Option, Rep. Tara Johnson where she shared her excitement for this bill that would expand coverage to tens of thousands of working families and small businesses across Wisconsin!
You can take action today:
- Email your state legislators and urge them to co-sponsor the BadgerCare Public Option bill
- Attend your local Co-Op team meeting
- Reach out to learn how you can plug into this strategic campaign
Stay tuned for more updates on a broader package of healthcare bills that will complement the BadgerCare Public Option—holding large hospital systems accountable for pricing, curbing unnecessary expansion projects, and cutting out costly middlemen in Medicaid.
For more information or to get involved, contact: Kristie Tweed,Healthcare Action Coordinator, 📞 608-317-1331, ✉️ kristie.tweed@citizenactionwi.org
Together, we can build a healthcare system that truly works for Wisconsin families and small businesses.
Citizen Action Driftless Organizing Cooperative Update
Spring isn’t the only thing warming up in the Driftless, something is building here, and you can feel it in the rooms.
Last week I spent time at the WI Climate Action Network regional gathering here in La Crosse, where the conversation was about energy burden, housing, and the kinds of community partnerships that make local climate action real and lasting. Seeds were planted with climate action professionals from Milwaukee to La Crosse.
Our local climate team is in the early development phase, and we are laying the foundation for some important work ahead. And if you know someone in the La Crosse area who wants to be part of it, send them our way.
We’ll be hosting a table at the upcoming Earth Fair and would love to connect with new folks ready to get involved. Email aron.newberry@citizenactionwi.org if you’d like to get involved.
I also joined a La Crosse Sierra Club meeting (pictured below) where State Representative Tara Johnson was talking about her data center legislative priorities. What gets me every time is the people. Community members show up on a Friday night because they care about protecting their families and their environment.
That’s why Citizen Action is promoting the Data Center Pause Bill. So Wisconsin’s elected leaders, like Rep. Johnson, can figure out how to regulate a fast-moving industry before it gets ahead of us. I invited everyone in the room to our recent Data Center Town Hall, where those voices filled the room.
The Driftless is showing up. More to come.
Join Citizen Action at Eau Claire Earth Fest April 18th!
Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s Northwestern Organizing Cooperative will have an exhibitor booth at Eau Claire Earth Fest on Saturday, April 18th from 10am-4pm at The Sonnentag Center (1075 Menomonie St, Eau Claire.
Dozens of exhibitors, workshops, and activities FREE and open to the public!
Citizen Action in the News
Citizen Action held a Data Center town hall meeting that drew over 100 participants.
See excellent coverage from the Wisconsin Examiner.
Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Earl Ingram Show on the Civic Media Radio Network to take a deeper dive into the importance of civil liberties for American democracy.
Listen to “Voting and organizing the Wisconsin we need” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
We discuss the final week of the 2026 Spring General Election, next Tuesday, April 7th, and discuss why we both think Chris Taylor will be a great Supreme Court Justice.
We review Trump’s week, including: the war in Iran, opposition to voting by mail, and SCOTUS taking up Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship.
We debrief successful No Kings rallies across the country and over 100 in Wisconsin. There is a tidal wave of economic populism sweeping the country with labor and progressive organizing groups leading efforts that are proposing and passing bills increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations to fund priorities like public schools, healthcare and childcare. Is Wisconsin prepared to lead? We look at child care in the governors race for clues.19
We Energies proposes a 14% rate increase and already has 3rd highest prices in the Midwest. The rate increases do not take into account long term commitments to new energy for data centers where rate payers are responsible if the data centers leave during the life of the new energy infrastructure.
We continue our discussion of the data center invasion in Wisconsin, including a virtual town hall Citizen Action held this week to organize people across Wisconsin to lead us toad solutions, especially now that the Legislature has failed us, done nothing to reign in data centers, and left Madison to go home and raise money to re-elect themselves.
RSVP to Citizen Action Governor Candidate Forum, Tuesday, April 14th.
Listen to the show.
