Citizen Action Weekend ’26 Newsletter, Friday, April 24th
Green Bay $20 Living Wage Town Hall kicks off a campaign led by the growing “Packer Populists” movement.
Green Bay area Citizen Action members and elected officials gathered for a Living Wage Town Hall to discuss the critical need to fight the affordability crisis by making work pay for all Wisconsinites.
The affordability crisis is caused by a double whammy of artificially depressed wages and skyrocketing cost of essentials, such as health care, housing, utilities, groceries, and everything else we need to thrive. The cost of living in every Wisconsin county is 3xs the minimum wage, making it impossible for many workers to afford the basics of life.
There are 800,000 Wisconsin workers who make less than $20/hour, 30% of workers, and yet in every area of Wisconsin the living wage, the amount needed to afford the basics of life, is over $21 per hour for a single person!
Last month, Wisconsin State Legislators introduced a bill to raise the state’s minimum wage to $20/hour. The state bill would immediately start at $15 and raise to $20/hour by 2030, index to inflation, reduce the tip penalty and increase the tipped minimum wage, and restore local control on wage policy.
Last Friday’s town hall at the Greater Green Bay Labor Council, allowed elected officials to hear directly from local residents about their daily struggle to make ends meet at less than $20/hour.
The Green Bay area is fortunate to have two outstanding State Representatives who attended the town hall and are demonstrating leadership as co-sponsors of the $20 Wage bill. Both Representatives Amaad Rivera-Wagner and Ryan Spaude (pictured with sign) are meeting with directly impacted workers and organizing with them to make change, and not just coming up with excuses for why they can’t support what workers need to survive.
Packer Populists in photo above:
Back Row: 8th CD Candidate Rick Crosson, 8th CD Candidate Katrina DeVille, Green Bay Alderman Jon Shelton, Green Bay Alder Jim Ridder-Bush, Green Bay Alder Joey Prestley, and Green Bay area State Representative Ryan Spaude.
Front Row: Cassie DuChatteau, Brown County Chair Wanda Sieber, and Green Bay area State Representative Amaad Rivera Wagner.
Learn more about why the $20 Wage bill is so important to pass.
TAKE ACTION in support of a $20/hour bill.
For more information about getting involved in the campaign, contact: g.degrave@citizenactionwi.org
Citizen Action Statewide Healthcare Action Update
So many events are coming up across the state! Join us in learning more about how and why our healthcare system is broken and getting worse each day. Hear about state solutions from healthcare experts, local legislators and directly affected community members. Find out how you can get involved and expand affordable healthcare to tens of thousands of Wisconsinities!
Upcoming events:
- 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 (Vaughn Library, Ashland, WI)
- Green Bay Media Event – Wed May 6th followed by an Appleton Townhall – (Tent. May 6th with location and times TBD)
- La Crosse Media Event – Monday May 11th (local farm – details to be announced soon)
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.
May Day 2026
Citizen Action will join Voces de la Frontera and allies for May Day 2026 in Milwaukee and Madison, next Friday, May 1st. Join us!
Milwaukee
10 am: Rally at Voces de la Frontera’s Offices, 733 W Historic Mitchell Street
11 am: March to the Federal Building, 517 E Wisconsin Ave
12 pm: Main Program at the Federal Building
Madison
12 pm: Rally at Library Mall, 715 State Street
1 pm: March to the State Capitol, Top of State Street
2 pm: Capitol Program, Outdoors, Top of State St
For more information on Milwaukee and Madison Voces de la Frontera events..
Join us in Green Bay for May Day, 6pm!
We are going to hear from local labor leaders, listen to the raging grannies and share a free community meal to commemorate May Day.
May Day is when we remember the Haymarket Affair where many striking workers lost their lives to police brutality fighting for the 8-hour day. This is the labor day for the rest of the world because of their courage. We are sending a strong message of Pro-labor Anti-billionaire. If you want to join the national movement of economic black out that day, come stop by the citizen action booth to get a sticker as our thanks!
Our member James Harris will be speaking on the $20 minimum wage and why his family needs it. Come out and hear James Speak, enjoy a meal with people who share your values, and listen to other speakers (many of whom are also members). Garnet, NE Co-op Organizer will serve as MC for the event!
Green Bay members should watch your email for an invite to a media event we will be holding in Green Bay at 3PM on May Day with the Wisconsin Living Wage Coalition in support of the $20 Minimum Wage bill.
For more information, contact: G De Grave
Join us for a Healthcare Town Hall in Appleton, Wednesday, May 6th, 6pm
Join Citizen Action and local legislators to talk about healthcare! There have been a lot of changes to Medicaid and Medicare over the last year. Some changes got rolled back, others didn’t. Hear a brief talk about the current lay of the land for healthcare in Wisconsin.
Community members will share their stories of how healthcare access has impacted their lives and what their family needs to change. Local Legislators will be there to listen. You’ll learn how to get involved in this fight and what policies you can advocate for that will result in a community that is cared for. For more information, contact: g.degrave@citizenactionwi.org
Citizen Action Driftless Organizing Coop Update
We were honored to welcome Democratic Governor candidate state Representative Francesca Hong to our recent Healthcare Action Team meeting this week on Tuesday, April 21st.
Representative Hong shared her perspective on tackling rising hospital prices, advancing the BadgerCare Public Option, supporting a data center pause bill, and implementing a 2% utility rate cap to protect working families. The conversation focused on practical solutions that lower costs and improve access to care across Wisconsin.
Driftless area team members engaged directly, asking questions and sharing local experiences. It was a strong example of connecting policy to real community needs and building momentum for meaningful, people-centered change.
If you would like to join a local Healthcare or Climate action team, please contact Aron at aron.newberry@citizenactionwi.org for more information.
Join Citizen Action at Wausau Earth Day celebration April 25th, 11am
Dan Barth, who is a member leader of Citizen Action, NAOMI, and the Citizens Climate Lobby, has worked to put together another great Earth Day celebration. Come join us to plant trees and honor the Earth!
Dan was invited to join people at the Governor’s mansion to celebrate Earth Day yesterday.
Citizen Action in the News
Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Jeff Santos Show to debrief the Citizen Action Governor’s Forum and the race ahead for control of Wisconsin government. The nationally syndicated Jeff Santos Show airs 2 to 5 PM Weekdays in Wisconsin on the Civic Media radio network. Watch and Listen here. (at 2 hour 7 minute mark of video)
Journalists continue to pull content from Citizen Action’s Governor’s Candidate Forum, one of the most substantive encounters of the entire campaign so far. See coverage of the candidate’s positions on data centers and clean energy from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Courier, and the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
Listen to “Electability Trap” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
We discuss the death of long-time Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel political reporter Daniel Bice and reflect his unique combination of skilled writing, muckraking journalism, even-handedness, and the respect he engendered from the politicians and political actors he exposed. Dan’s passing also forces us to take stock on the dying newspaper industry that was once so central to Wisconsin politics.
The inevitable debate over “electability” emerged this week in the Democratic governor primary election when candidate Sara Rodriguez questioned the electability of the other Democratic candidates who are polling ahead of her. We dive into the debate and its perils.
We lament the dissolution of the Hustisford school district after another failed referendum to make up for inadequate state funding and expose new research revealing among the highest racial disparities in the U.S. in Wisconsin’s incarceration rates.
We blast news that UnitedHealth boosted their 2026 earnings after increasing prices, proving monopolized health insurance is doing well denying care and overcharging for coverage, all made possible and encouraged by bi-partisan policy choices.
Wisconsin toothless regulators, the Public Service Commission, decide on We Energies’ data center electric rates and workers at two Rogers mental health clinics elect union by large majorities, despite a sleazy union busting campaign from the employer.
