Voter I.D., Overpopulation’s Likely Effects, Wisconsin Life: Motorcycle Culture

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By most estimates, the global population will hit 9.6 billion in 2050. But how will declining fertility rates affect this number? An expert discusses population trends and how they will affect quality of life in the near future. In Wisconsin Life, we learn about motorcycle culture in the Badger State, and we get the latest on Wisconsin’s Voter I.D. Law as the governor and attorney general ask a federal court to reinstate it.

Featured in this Show

  • State Motorcycling Community Has Evolved Over Years, Says Lodge Owner

    Without a doubt, motorcycles are popular vehicles in Wisconsin. According to the state Department of Transportation, there were 367,474 of them registered in Wisconsin in 2013.

    Brandy Smith-Vuich, the co-owner of Blue Highway Motorcycle Lodge, can attest to the popularity of biking in the state. Simply put, she said: “We stay busy.”

    She suggested that part of the popularity of motorcycling in the state likely comes from Wisconsin being the home of Harley-Davidson, along with the state’s great roads and natural beauty. According to Smith-Vuich, some of Wisconsin’s routes rival the best in the country.

    “This area is a great draw for motorcyclists,” she said. “The Driftless Region is unique in the state because of the glaciers having skirted the area, so it’s nothing but twisties and valleys and ridges.”

    As the owner of a motorcycle lodge, she’s seen motorcyclists come to Wisconsin from all over the country and the world.

    “We had a couple of folks form Germany,” she said. “They came here to tour the region and they wrote for a magazine … They really loved the area.

    She added that she’s even had guests visit from as far away as Kabul, Afghanistan.

    The one downside to riding in the state is that for most people, the season ends when snow begins to fall. There are, however, some diehard motorcyclists who power through the winter elements. According to Smith-Vuich, those tend to be people who ride BMW bikes.

    “They break out all the heated gear and they bundle up,” said Smith-Vuich.

    According to Smith-Vuich, while there is a strong sense of community amongst motorcyclists, the makeup of the community has expanded and diversified.

    “Forty years ago there was a certain persona associate with bikers,” she said. “That really has changed. There is no one group of people associated with motorcycles.”

    Today, she said, motorcyclists aren’t just hitting up bars, but are engaged in all kinds of community events.

    “There are many groups that support great charitable causes,” she said. “There are charitable rides for people who have been injured motorcycling, all the way up to pediatric brain tumors.”

    While the community may have changed, the reason people ride, she said, has not.

    “The freedom of the road, the way you feel when you ride your motorcycle — there’s nothing you can compare that to,” she said.

    Editor’s Note: You can learn more about Wisconsin’s motorcyclist culture from Wisconsin Life.

  • Walker And Van Hollen Ask Federal Court To Reinstate Voter ID Law

    Governor Scott Walker and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen are asking a federal court to reinstate Wisconsin’s Voter I.D. law. Last month the state Supreme Court upheld the law, however it remains blocked by federal judge who found it violates the Voting Rights Act and U.S. Constitution.

  • Overpopulation: Myth Or Sobering Prospect?

    Earth currently has 7.2 billion people living on it and that number is projected to rise to around 9.6 billion by 2050. Or will it? How will falling fertility and birth rates affect population numbers in the near future? And how will population trends affect quality of life in the near future?

  • Wisconsin Is One Of Top 5 Motorcycling States

    Wisconsin is one of the biggest motorcyclist states in the country, with over 300,000 bikes registered in the state. The owner of a motorcyclist lodge in Wisconsin shares her experience.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Cynthia Schuster Host
  • Galen Druke Producer
  • Marika Suval Producer
  • Brandy Smith-Vuich Guest
  • Rick Esenberg Guest
  • Robert Walker Guest