 |  |  | No Kings 2 Protest and March
Updates to the Announcement!
Saturday, October 18 from 11:00 a.m until 2:00 p.m.
Cathedral Square- 520 East Wells Street, Milwaukee
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Visit Organizations’ Tables
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Rally
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. March
In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings.
Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together. Sign up HERE
- Proudly support our country as well as the League of Women Voters by wearing your League attire.
- If you’d like to protest with other League members, meet Candice Owley at 10:45am outside Belmont Tavern at 784 N. Jefferson St. She’ll be wearing her League T shirt.
Before you go, please read the League Protest Safety Guidelines.
A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events. | |
Additional No Kings 2 Locations
You’re encouraged to go to the main protest in Cathedral Square. Numbers matter in demonstrating resistance to the administration’s actions and that means large crowds. It’s important that we have many more people than the 15,000 who showed up in Cathedral Square for No Kings 1.
But, if that location or time doesn’t work for you, here are alternate or additional locations/times:
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Greenfield, South 76th Street & West Layton Avenue, 10:00 - 11:30am
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Brookfield, Address upon RSVP, 11:00am - 12:30pm
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Waukesha, 321 Wisconsin Ave, (Cutler Park) Waukesha, 1:00 - 2:30pm
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Shorewood, North Wilson Drive & Capitol Drive, 2:00 - 3:30pm
|  | Protest Sign Ideas to Use or Spark Your Creativity
Here are some ideas:
- Save democracy
- Defend democracy
- Make facts great again
- Rule of Law. Not rule of King.
- No police state
- (No red circle/line) over picture of crown
- We (Heart) : democracy, free press, free speech/1st amendment
- Stop the coup
- Liberty and justice for all
- No throne, no crown, no king
- No kings since 1776
Remember when a protest fit on one sign?
| Please Join Us for the League's Legislative Breakfast
THIS Monday, October 20th, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00a.m.
| The goal of the breakfast is to hear directly from Milwaukee area elected officials about their legislative priorities during the current 2025-26 session. See registration page for a list of legislators who have accepted our invitation to attend.
A light breakfast will be served.
Limited spots still available! This meeting will be open only to our members.
Please note: the location of the breakfast will be disclosed in your confirmation email after you have registered. | |
LWVWI Action Alerts
Sign up for LWVWI Legislative Action Alerts
Federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Petitioning to Require Proof of Citizenship.
The federal EAC is requesting comments on a petition that would add documentary proof of citizenship to the federal voter registration form. The petition process is the precursor to the EAC proposing an actual rule so this is a critical time to advocate against the addition of proof of citizenship. The LWVUS and other voting rights groups are urging members to take action opposing this petition.
What Can You Do? Take action immediately - comment period closes 10/20 at midnight.
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Escalating ICE activity makes Wisconsin less safe
Source: Wisconsin Examiner Summary Points:
- Recent ICE raids in Madison (seven arrested) and Manitowoc (targeting farmworkers) represent a sharp escalation in Wisconsin, a state that until now had largely avoided the kind of intensive immigration enforcement seen in neighboring states.
- Local law enforcement in Madison said they had no prior knowledge of the ICE operation, raising concerns about coordination, civil liberties, and the separation of federal actions from community governance
Read full article here.
What Can You Do?
|  | | October 21st, 6-8pm at Washington Park Urban Ecology Center, 1859 N. 40th Street. Our League is co-sponsoring a Community Conversation on Milwaukee County’s budget, transportation, climate and equity. You will hear directly from Milwaukee County Departments about what’s at stake in the County’s proposed 2026 budget. Ask questions and get the facts and raise your voice for protecting transit, public health and climate resilience. The event will be led by County Supervisor and LWVMC member Anne O’Connor.
October 23rd, 5:30-8:30p.m. at Carroll University - The Waukesha County Green Team in collaboration with Carroll University and the Office on Sustainability and Clean Energy is hosting a Community Conversation called Now Is the Time. The event is free and features meteorologist Lindsey Slater as the guest speaker. For more information and to register here.
November 1st, Our Power, Our Future: Holding We Energies Accountable, 9:30 light breakfast, 10-11:30 Presentation and Call to Action, 11:30 Storytelling Workshop, 1011 W. Center Street, North Division High School. Wisconsinites must stop paying the price for unhealthy air and higher utility bills. Sign up here.
Saturday, NOVEMBER 22, 10-noon, URGENT - Local Actions to Address Climate Change in Milwaukee County, Featuring Erick Shambarger, Director, City of Milwaukee Environmental Collaboration Office, and Grant Helle, Milwaukee County Sustainability Director. Learn about our local governments’ efforts to address climate change and ways you can be active at the local level. Room 2135, (1st Floor meeting room), Summit Place, 6737 W Washington St., West Allis, WI 53214. Register Here. |  | |
LGBTQ+: A Supreme Court Update
Conversion Therapy Case Argued
The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard Chiles v. Salazar, challenging Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” for minors. The justices focused on whether such laws regulate professional conduct or restrict free speech. A decision is expected by June 2026.
Key Points:
- Tests whether therapy bans are viewpoint discrimination or valid health regulation.
- Conservative justices, this Court's majority, appeared skeptical of state limits on therapist speech.
- Could reshape how states – including Wisconsin – regulate counseling and medical speech.
- Wisconsin currently classifies conversion therapy as unprofessional conduct, and legislation is pending to ban it entirely.
- If the Court rules for Chiles, such bans may be deemed unconstitutional; if it upholds Colorado’s law, states retain authority to protect minors from harmful practices.
Mark your calendars🗓️ for Drag Bingo, 7:00 p.m. March 5, 2026 at POP (124 W. National Ave) It will be fun and informative!
LGBTQ+ All Letters Matter | |
Wisconsin Elections Commission challenges order requiring voter citizenship checks
Source: Votebeat
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The Wisconsin Department of Justice, representing the Elections Commission and other state agencies, has asked a Waukesha County judge to pause his order requiring voter citizenship verification for both current and new registrants, arguing that the directive is “impermissibly vague” and cannot be implemented before the February registration deadline.
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The state’s motion says enforcing the ruling would require shutting down or overhauling Wisconsin’s online voter registration system, which currently lacks a built-in citizenship verification process and is used by hundreds of voters daily.
Read full article here.
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Did you know that the Flock cameras, also known as Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), are AI-powered systems that take images of a vehicle’s make, model, color, and its license plate? According to Fox6, there are at least 30 Flock cameras used in Milwaukee.
If you reside in the City of Milwaukee, we encourage you to contact your alderperson and Mayor Johnson and urge them to ban the Milwaukee Police Department’s current and future use of Facial Recognition Technology. With the permission of the Milwaukee Turners, we are sharing sample call and email scripts that can be used to contact your alderperson and the Mayor. For more information please contact Emily Sterk, Chair of the Mass Incarceration Committee. |  | WI Right to Contraception Act Introduced
By Charlie Gaebler-Uhing
We missed World Contraception Day, September 26 this year, but have placed it on our calendar for recognition next year! State Senator Dianne Hesselbein, Middleton, and Representative Lisa Subeck, Madison, marked the day by re-introducing their bill, Wisconsin’s Right to Contraception Act. Last legislative session, every Assembly Republican voted against it. Sen. Tammy Baldwin co-authored a federal Right to Contraception Act that was also voted down.
Why would assembly Republicans oppose it when 90% of Wisconsin families use contraception to plan their families and 85% of Wisconsinites believe the state should not restrict or ban access to contraception methods?
As this opinion column points out, it is just a matter of time before Republicans use Justice Clarence Thomas’s concurring opinion from the overturning of Roe, that the “pursuit of happiness” argument doesn’t apply to contraception. Twelve states and the District of Columbia have taken this threat seriously and have either passed a state statute (9), constitutional amendment (3) or both (1) protecting their citizens’ access to contraception. It is time for Wisconsin to protect this access as well! Let your WI State senator and representative know that contraception access is important to you!
States with statutes: Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee. Constitutional Amendments: California, Michigan, Ohio, Both statute and amendment: Vermont. |  |  | |
LWV-Lake Michigan Region Annual Conference Oct. 24-25
The LWV-Lake Michigan Region, an Inter-League Organization including Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, invites all LWV members to its annual meeting and Conference on Oct. 24-25, 2025. The mission of the inter-League organization is to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government and to act on selected governmental issues affecting the Lake Michigan watershed.
This year's event is titled "Exercising Democracy: Protecting Lake Michigan & the Great Lakes in the Face of Data Centers & Other Challenges." Members and guests may attend in person or via Zoom. Information and registration here. | LWVMC is starting a Speakers Bureau to provide civic education in a more strategic, intentional, and organized way for the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County. Presentation topics will include voting, democracy, and issues that we advocate for. We will reach more people by sending speakers out to civic and church groups, service organizations, neighborhood associations, and other groups.
Does this interest you? The effort will take a diversity of talent to develop presentations, recruit speakers, find speaking opportunities, and match speakers to topics and schedule the presentation.
If you are interested and have time to engage with educational outreach, please contact Mary Voelker at m.voelker@lwvmilwaukee.org for more information. | |
With the League’s Monthly Giving Program, you can make a monthly gift that fits your budget and adds up to make a large impact on the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County.
Do you have a donor advised fund (DAF)? LWVMC accepts gifts from donor advised funds. The EIN # is 39-6096750. Call your DAF administrator today and start a monthly gift from your donor advised fund to the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County.
If you don’t have a donor advised fund, set up your monthly donation with your credit card. Go to Recurring Donations on the Donate Page of the League website and follow the prompts. Any questions, contact Mary Voelker at m.voelker@lwvmilwaukee.org |  |  | |
MyVote Online Voter Registration & Photo ID for Voter Voting In Person Training
Thurs. Nov. 6th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
League offices- Summit Place, 6727 W Washington Street, West Allis
Now is the time to prepare yourself to help people register to vote. 2026 will be a major election year with spring elections for Supreme Court and municipal officials and a fall election that could change the majority of the state legislator and will elect a new Governor as well as US Congressional Representatives.
To prepare for this big election year we are holding an in-person training program. Learn how to register people to vote using MyVote.wi.gov. Learn what is acceptable photo ID for voting in Wisconsin and how to acquire it. Join other league members as we prepare to help our community get ready for this big election year.
Question regarding this announcement? Please email e.aelion@lwvmilwaukee.org
This training is especially important for anyone interested in Jail-based voting registration opportunities. |  | |
Waukesha County Volunteer Coordinator for VOTE411 Needed
VOTE411 is a nonpartisan online voter guide provided by the League of Women Voters Education Fund. In order to produce this guide for all voters, LWV needs lots of help! Community volunteers contact municipal or school board clerks to get candidate information.
Community Volunteer Coordinators for Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties work with volunteers and with clerks to collect this information and to relay it to tech team volunteers who post candidates and their contact information to the system. The League invites the candidates to participate in the online voter guide and answer questions important to their constituents. The candidates respond to our questions on the VOTE411 site.
We need a Waukesha County Volunteer Coordinator for VOTE411! Experience with VOTE411 is helpful, whether as a community volunteer or otherwise, but not essential. If you are interested or want more information, please contact Beth Lueck at b.lueck@lwvmilwaukee.org |  | |
The High School Voter Education and Registration Team will complete registrations in 23/25 high schools in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) in early November. The response to our call for volunteers was terrific and we want to thank all those who stepped up to help us make the registrations successful. The events would not be possible without your work!
We are starting to plan for registrations in non-MPS schools in the city as well as in suburban schools. If you are on our volunteer list, please watch for emails announcing upcoming registrations. If you are not on our list and would like to become involved, please review our online training slides (Voter Registration inMilwaukee and Waukesha Area High Schools2.pdf). At the end of the slides, you can fill out a form which will automatically put you on our list. You will then receive our announcements. Thank you again for helping us in MPS schools this fall. We look forward to working with you during the rest of this year. Questions? Feel free to contact Judy Winn (j.winn@lwvmilwaukee.org). |  |
October 24th at 10:00 a.m.
Milwaukee Public Library’s East Side Library Community Room
To all League members possibly interested in League Café: the book and discussion group of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County
We will meet next week and there is always plenty to discuss, with the various current events.
This meeting will be very important because it is also time to choose books for upcoming months. We are trying to cover topics related to Advocacy groups of the LWVMC. We have a new short list to choose from that will be passed out, but if you have something “great” to suggest, we can add to the list. Also because of the holidays in Nov. & Dec., we need to either confirm our usual dates or agree on a change of date.Most of the books we read are available in the Milwaukee Co. library system. Boswell Books gives a 10% discount to Book Club members and has a special shelf for book club designated books. I will notify them of the books we choose, so it is helpful to choose ahead. |  | |
Tuesday, Oct. 21, Noon via Zoom
Are you vigilant and prepared to avoid being scammed? College students as well as their grandparents increasingly face clever scammers. Meet consumer protection outreach specialist Bennet Merens. Join us on zoom for our LWV Lunch & Learn at noon Tuesday October 21.
REGISTER HERE
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October 22, 2025 | Reception 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Program 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State Street, Madison, WI
In-Person and Livestream
Register Here.
What role, if any, should faith play in shaping our political values and goals? How do we authentically live out our religious beliefs in the public sphere without imposing those beliefs on others? Does respecting the separation of church and state require us to set aside our faith when engaging politically? Can—and should—our personal religious convictions truly be divorced from our public policy positions? Join us for a thoughtful and nuanced conversation featuring:Ross Douthat (New York Times); Shadi Hamid (Washington Post); Daniel Mark (Villanova University); Kaitlyn Schiess (Duke Divinity School) |  | “We have been lied to”: How Antisemitism, Anti-Black Racism, and Misogyny Are Linked, with Doris Bergen
Wednesday, October 22 @ 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Golda Meir Library, UWM. 4th Floor Conference Center
2311 E. Hartford Ave. Milwaukee, WI
In person and on zoom: http://bit.ly/2025Distinguished
What is the relationship between anti-Black racism, antisemitism, sexism, and Nazism? Why did the white supremacists who marched at Charlottesville in 2017 to protest removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee carry swastika flags and shout, “Jews will not replace us?” Why did the number of lynchings in the United States spike in 1933, the year Hitler came to power in Germany? Howard University professor Kelly Miller noted a “striking analogy” between “race prejudice” against Blacks in America and Jews in Germany, and other African American and Caribbean observers at the time expressed similar views. Why have their insights been largely forgotten? This talk addresses these and other questions by looking back at the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust and analyzing connections to our own times.
Doris Bergen is the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto. Bergen is the author of Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich (1996), Between God and Hitler: Military Chaplains in Nazi Germany (2023), and War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust (4th edition 2024). She is a member of the Committee on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. |  | |
VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON REGISTRATION HERE.
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