Public health panic and neglect, Independent state legislature theory,

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time
A bin containing colorful fabric masks.
Heidi Steeno holds a box of masks she made at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Saturday, March 12, 2022, at her home in Milwaukee, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

An epistemologist shares her concerns over how we approach public health by being reactive instead of proactive. Then, a political science and law professor joins us to discuss the ramifications of the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the independent state legislature theory.

Featured in this Show

  • Public health policy and the Sisyphean cycle

    We talk to an epidemiologist about what she calls the “panic and neglect” cycle of public health policy in the United States, which she says not unique to the covid-19 pandemic: resources are thrown at public health causes when there’s an emergency, but then abandoned when the emergency is over.

  • The Supreme Court ruled against the Independent State Legislature theory—what does that mean for future elections?

    On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court ruled against a fringe legal theory that would give state legislatures power to control how federal elections are conducted in their state, without having to answer to their own state’s supreme court. A constitutional law expert walks us through what the ruling means for future federal elections in Wisconsin and throughout the country.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Tyler Ditter Technical Director
  • Sarah Hopefl Technical Director
  • Colleen Leahy Producer
  • Beatrice Lawrence Producer
  • Katelyn Jetelina Guest
  • Howard Schweber Guest

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