We ask expert Mike Ford: Does La Crosse need a City Administrator or is it just more expensive bureaucracy?

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 si…

Wisconsin Rep. Steve Doyle on priorities, as Legislature wraps up for the year on Feb. 19

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle in studio on the Legislature’s earliest adjournment in history, his priorities in this last month of work for 2026, the state’s $4 billion surplus, and a package of bills on elderly care he hopes will pass. We began the show with Republicans, who control t…

UW-L political scientist Chergosky on when it's OK not to tip, biggest names headed to La Crosse — with Pete Buttigieg in town — and a mayor's sway over city council

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio talking the big names headed to La Crosse as campaign season begins, when is it OK not to tip, the La Crosse mayor trying to sway the council on the city administrator plan, and what Wisconsin's state Legislature is attempti…

Dr. Carolyn Colleen on Viterbo's MLK Day celebration, and 1,000 seventh graders coming ready to learn

Dr. Carolyn Colleen joins to discuss Viterbo's 21st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day community celebration coming up Monday. Not only do we dive into the event, highlighted by keynote speaker Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, and events running from morning until night, but Colleen also discusses the …

La Crosse mayor on why he wants current city administrator plan to fail, plus his thoughts on new downtown plan, ICE situation

A month away from a vote on a city administrator, La Crosse’s mayor doesn’t support the specific plan currently on the table. Shaundel Washington-Spivey stopped in studio Thursday for La Crosse Talk PM and discussed why he’s not for this iteration of a city administrator. We also talked about the …

LA CROSSE TALK PM: Brewers manager Pat Murphy on featuring pocket pancakes in the "Beer District," and if he'd rather coach Packers or Brewers

Ahead of his visit to the city Saturday, Brewers manager Pat Murphy joined to discuss coaching — football and basketball — Bob Uecker and, of course, pocket pancakes. Murphy will be the La Crosse Loggers special guest Saturday for their winter BBQ at the La Crosse Center, appropriately themed “An E…

Billings on contaminated water bill, banning public from recording meetings, and the GOP’s wrapping up 2026 in February

Wisconsin State Rep. Jill Billings in studio to discuss how Republicans in control of the Legislature aim to wrap up their work for the year by the end of February. Billings also addressed the recent funding loss for WisconsinEye — a state version of C-SPAN — which has left only the media as the s…

Mac Kiel on bike lanes and a roundabout, ending prayers at city council, and reducing judges' terms

A roundabout and bike lanes in downtown La Crosse, ending “prayer” before council meetings, and cutting judges’ terms to save tax money. Those are the big topics we discussed with Mac Kiel on Monday’s La Crosse Talk PM. Ending council invocations After that, we talked about the council voting 9-4…

UW-L's Chergosky on the politics of prayer, plus good (and bad) first-date conversations

From governments holding invocations — like prayers before meetings — to the best and worst first-date topics, we covered it all with University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky. The conversation comes as the La Crosse City Council voted Thursday to end inv…

On top of the (log rolling) world with 7-time champ Livi Pappadopoulos

Seven-time log rolling world champion, Livi Pappadopoulos, stopped in studio to talk about how ending up alone balancing on a log in the water can be an amazing third space. All week, La Crosse Talk PM has focused on third spaces — so not home, not work, but that third space where you can be socia…