She's a Democrat in a Legislature controlled by Republicans, Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings of La Crosse. Discussed how she tries to get bills passed in Madison as the minority party — but no, she's not bribing those on the other side of the aisle with gift cards. "That's illegal," she said.

She's a Democrat in a Legislature controlled by Republicans, Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings of La Crosse. Discussed how she tries to get bills passed in Madison as the minority party &mdash; but no, she's not bribing those on the other side of the aisle with gift cards. "That's illegal," she said.

Listener conversations about the days events in and around the La Crosse area.  Weekdays from 5-6pm on WIZM 1410AM and 92.3FM

La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

WIZM - La Crosse

Wisconsin state Rep. Jill Billings is not bribing Republicans

A lot covered with the city planning department in studio, from the old Kmart demo timeline and creating a public market to revamping the La Crosse's decades old zoning code.

Planning director Andrea Trane and deputy director Tim Acklin stopped in studio to help navigate some of the city's biggest projects.

Trane sets us straight on the $600,000 "public market study," while Acklin breaks down how rewriting decades-old zoning makes room for everything from doggy daycares to starter homes.

Episode Highlights:
Kmart Demolition Progress: Why state grant conditions are forcing a spring deadline for the old building to come down—and where city paperwork actually stands.
Public Market Truth: Trane sets the record straight on the $600,000 TID 11 transfer, what happens to those funds if a market isn't built, and why that money couldn't be used to save library jobs.
1980s Zoning Overhaul: Acklin breaks down why the city is overhauling land-use policies written during the Reagan administration, and what "missing middle" zoning actually means for future neighborhood growth.
Chasing Out-of-State Landlords: Trane breaks down the disconnect of dealing with Texas and New York landlords who don't understand La Crosse's key arteries, and why local ownership is the key to redeveloping areas like the old Kmart and Shopko.
Preserving Neighborhood Character: Acklin explains how new multi-family design standards will require duplexes and triplexes to visually blend into existing residential streets.
TID 101: Trane addresses how TIF districts work in practice and why those funds can't simply be redirected to cover general city expenses.

A lot covered with the city planning department in studio, from the old Kmart demo timeline and creating a public market to revamping the La Crosse's decades old zoning code.
Planning director Andrea Trane and deputy director Tim Acklin stopped in studio to help navigate some of the city's biggest projects.
Trane sets us straight on the $600,000 "public market study," while Acklin breaks down how rewriting decades-old zoning makes room for everything from doggy daycares to starter homes.
Episode Highlights:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Kmart Demolition Progress: Why state grant conditions are forcing a spring deadline for the old building to come down&mdash;and where city paperwork actually stands.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Public Market Truth: Trane sets the record straight on the $600,000 TID 11 transfer, what happens to those funds if a market isn't built, and why that money couldn't be used to save library jobs.</li>
<li aria-level="1">1980s Zoning Overhaul: Acklin breaks down why the city is overhauling land-use policies written during the Reagan administration, and what "missing middle" zoning actually means for future neighborhood growth.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Chasing Out-of-State Landlords: Trane breaks down the disconnect of dealing with Texas and New York landlords who don't understand La Crosse's key arteries, and why local ownership is the key to redeveloping areas like the old Kmart and Shopko.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Preserving Neighborhood Character: Acklin explains how new multi-family design standards will require duplexes and triplexes to visually blend into existing residential streets.</li>
<li aria-level="1">TID 101: Trane addresses how TIF districts work in practice and why those funds can't simply be redirected to cover general city expenses.</li>
</ul>

La Crosse city planners Trane, Acklin on Kmart timeline, Public Market, and 1980s zoning

Current Festmaster Brent Smith and last year's leader Mike Bakalars stopped in the WIZM studio for The Rick Solem Show to preview the final countdown to La Crosse’s Oktoberfest — and show how the sausage is made, literally.

The two shared what it's really like to keep one of the city's biggest secrets for six months — being selected Festmaster — from an anonymous front-door beer drop to joking about being the "last resort" on the list.

Beyond the ceremonial torch passing at next Wednesday's Festmasters Ball, the pair shared stories about minus-30-degree festival tours in Winnipeg, running into UW-L Chancellor James Beeby downtown in full Lederhosen, and the infamous 2 a.m. heist of the festival's 80-pound golden brat.

Episode Highlights:
Learning Their Festmaster Status: How both men got the secret news—from a front-door German beer drop to a joke about being fifth choice. 
The 80-Pound Heist: The chaotic 2017 story of when thieves actually stole the massive golden brat off the grill.
Designing the Button: How Festmasters select custom symbols — from scales of justice to Navy logos — to engrave on thousands of official Festmaster buttons.
Chancellor Encounter: Getting caught driving UTVs through downtown La Crosse in full festival gear and running straight into UW-L Chancellor James Beeby.
Missing Gambrinus: The morning-after panic when King Gambrinus was accidentally left unattended in a hotel hallway.

The Heart of Tour Week: Brent Smith reflects on why visits to local nursing homes and schools mean more than any parade crowd.Serving the Community: Mike Bakalars shares what it really feels like to spend a year as an ambassador for the city of La Crosse. 

Current Festmaster Brent Smith and last year's leader Mike Bakalars stopped in the WIZM studio for The Rick Solem Show to preview the final countdown to La Crosse&rsquo;s Oktoberfest &mdash; and show how the sausage is made, literally.
The two shared what it's really like to keep one of the city's biggest secrets for six months &mdash; being selected Festmaster &mdash; from an anonymous front-door beer drop to joking about being the "last resort" on the list.
Beyond the ceremonial torch passing at next Wednesday's Festmasters Ball, the pair shared stories about minus-30-degree festival tours in Winnipeg, running into UW-L Chancellor James Beeby downtown in full Lederhosen, and the infamous 2 a.m. heist of the festival's 80-pound golden brat.
Episode Highlights:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Learning Their Festmaster Status: How both men got the secret news&mdash;from a front-door German beer drop to a joke about being fifth choice.&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">The 80-Pound Heist: The chaotic 2017 story of when thieves actually stole the massive golden brat off the grill.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Designing the Button: How Festmasters select custom symbols &mdash; from scales of justice to Navy logos &mdash; to engrave on thousands of official Festmaster buttons.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Chancellor Encounter: Getting caught driving UTVs through downtown La Crosse in full festival gear and running straight into UW-L Chancellor James Beeby.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Missing Gambrinus: The morning-after panic when King Gambrinus was accidentally left unattended in a hotel hallway.</li>
</ul>
The Heart of Tour Week: Brent Smith reflects on why visits to local nursing homes and schools mean more than any parade crowd.Serving the Community: Mike Bakalars shares what it really feels like to spend a year as an ambassador for the city of La Crosse.&nbsp;

A peek inside La Crosse Oktoberfest with Festmasters Smith, Bakalars

What does the La Crosse School District do with the gigantic Trane property?

Economist Dr. Adam Hoffer in studio with a hot take: Turn the 40-acre site into a high school.

Voters shot down a Trane site high school back in 2022, but with the company donating the land and the district facing facility challenges, we debate why Hoffer thinks having this property changes the math — and why past district planning hasn't worked out.

We also question some La Crosse city logic — like laying off $400,000 in library staff to cover a budget deficit while approving $600,000 in TID money for a public market study. 

Hoffer, the excise tax director at the Tax Foundation, also discusses what a per-mile tax might look like — as Michigan experiments with that formula in place of a gas tax / EV tax — plus how prediction market state tax revenue is different from sports gambling. 

Also, with the start of the Green Bay Packers season, Hoffer talks about why their ownership model is so unique, it will never happen in pro sports again — but should happen with every franchise. 

Episode Highlights:
TID Funding Maneuvers: Is the city prioritizing its actual needs when shuffling TID cash — like funding a public market study over people's jobs at the library? 
Trane Site Opportunity: Acquiring a 40-acre property with a 220,000-square-foot building reopens a major debate for the La Crosse School District.
Wasted Community Input: Bringing the public together for a year-long Facility Advisory Committee only to toss out their plan creates massive local frustration.
Per-Mile Driving Tax: Replacing state gas taxes with a per-mile fee sounds great at the pump — until heavy EVs and annual registration bills enter the math.
The "Packer Rule" Paradox: Why the NFL literally rewrote its constitution to ban fan-owned nonprofits — and how that rule protects billionaire owners from public accountability.
Prediction Markets vs. Sports Gambling: How federally regulated prediction markets bypass state gambling taxes — and why state regulators are scrambling to stop it.

What does the La Crosse School District do with the gigantic Trane property?
Economist Dr. Adam Hoffer in studio with a hot take: Turn the 40-acre site into a high school.
Voters shot down a Trane site high school <a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2022/11/09/la-crosse-school-district-holding-news-conference-at-10-am-as-194-7-million-referendum-fails-holmen-onalaska-bangor-passed/">back in 2022</a>, but with the company donating the land and the district facing facility challenges, we debate why Hoffer thinks having this property changes the math &mdash; and why past district planning hasn't worked out.
We also question some La Crosse city logic &mdash; like laying off $400,000 in library staff to cover a budget deficit while approving $600,000 in TID money for a public market study.&nbsp;
Hoffer, the excise tax director at the <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/">Tax Foundation</a>, also discusses what a <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/gas-taxes-state/">per-mile tax might</a> look like &mdash; as Michigan experiments with that formula in place of a gas tax / <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/electric-vehicle-ev-taxes/">EV tax</a> &mdash; plus how prediction market state tax revenue is different from sports gambling.&nbsp;
Also, with the start of the Green Bay Packers season, Hoffer talks about why their ownership model is so unique, it will never happen in pro sports again &mdash; but should happen with every franchise.&nbsp;
Episode Highlights:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">TID Funding Maneuvers: Is the city prioritizing its actual needs when shuffling TID cash &mdash; like funding a public market study over people's jobs at the library?&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Trane Site Opportunity: Acquiring a 40-acre property with a 220,000-square-foot building reopens a major debate for the La Crosse School District.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Wasted Community Input: Bringing the public together for a year-long Facility Advisory Committee only to toss out their plan creates massive local frustration.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Per-Mile Driving Tax: Replacing state gas taxes with a per-mile fee sounds great at the pump &mdash; until heavy EVs and annual registration bills enter the math.</li>
<li aria-level="1">The "Packer Rule" Paradox: Why the NFL literally rewrote its constitution to ban fan-owned nonprofits &mdash; and how that rule protects billionaire owners from public accountability.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Prediction Markets vs. Sports Gambling: How federally regulated prediction markets bypass state gambling taxes &mdash; and why state regulators are scrambling to stop it.</li>
</ul>

Wisconsin state Rep. Jill Billings is not bribing Republicans

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