| Let’s get together on Saturday, November 15
Current Leaders and longtime members of our League will be on hand to orient newer members to the League and all of us can take the opportunity to mingle and learn more about why each of us has joined the League.
Saturday, November 15 - 10:00 am -- Noon
Summit Place, Room 2135 (1st fl. Conference room)
6737 W Washington St
West Allis 53214
Registration is appreciated but feel free to come in any case! Volunteer to help!
Questions? Contact league@lwvmilwaukee.org
| Nov. 22, 10--Noon, LWVMC Public Issues Forum: Addressing Climate Change in Milwaukee
This free presentation features Erick Shambarger, Director, City of Milwaukee Environmental Collaboration Office, and Grant Helle, Milwaukee County Sustainability Director.
"Climate Change is the overriding issue of our time,” said Louise Petering, co-chair of LWVMC’s Climate Action Group. “We must support our local champions and their work in Milwaukee County to address this global issue."
Learn about our local government’s 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. |  | | Food Insecurity is Real: Steps to Take Now
The LWVMC’s new Medicaid/FoodShare Task Force is starting work to mitigate the harsh effects on Wisconsinites of new federal law that could cut individuals out of BadgerCare (Medicaid, in federal lingo) and FoodShare (SNAP, in federal lingo). Most new requirements don’t take effect yet, but the federal government shutdown will cause people (as many as 700,000 in Wisconsin) to suffer food insecurity starting this November. Here are some actions you can take:
· If you know of someone in need of emergency food resources, suggest they call 211 or visit the Impact 211 website, and provide additional information. Here are some places where they may be able to find food assistance.
· Donate to a food bank.
· Urge federal legislators to immediately restore SNAP funding, even if on a stopgap basis.
· Urge state legislators to support legislation (AB387/S8390, the “budget correction bill”) adequately funding state administration of FoodShare. At least 98 Wisconsin organizations, including the State LWV, back this legislation, but your voice is needed, too. |  | |
Milwaukee County Opportunities
October 30, 6:00pm--8:00pm 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. (Please Note: this event was originally scheduled for Oct 21st.)
November 1, Our Power, Our Future: Holding We Energies Accountable, 9:30 am 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.
Agenda:
- Education Session: Part 1- History of what Utilities do on affordability and health
- Community Narrative Spotlight: Part 2- Where We Are & Impacts on Community
- Town Hall & Next Steps: Part 3- Taking Action together (featuring advocates, community leaders, and local elected officials)
November 6, Forward Together Wisconsin is hosting its Second Annual Statewide Fall Convening at the Baird Center in Milwaukee. The event is open to the public and registration is free. The event will highlight climate justice policy opportunities to make our communities safe and healthy places for us and future generations. More information at the event website.
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Did you know that police drones – remote-controlled aircrafts – can be integrated with other surveillance technologies like Flock cameras and Facial Recognition Technology? The Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office have both used drones to surveil protests. During the 2020 protests, Wauwatosa police deployed drones and used that collected data to create a “protestor list.”
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 surveillance technologies like drones and 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. |  |  | |
Weekly Protests:
Show the Administration you support the Constitution. Remember, numbers matter. Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts when 3.5% of the population are involved. 8.5 million voters is the 3.5% history tells us is necessary to try to stop authoritarianism. So, ask a friend or two to come with you.
SE Wisconsin Indivisible
Every Sunday, 3:00-4:00pm
1501 Miller Parkway, West Milwaukee
Shorewood Resists Weekly Overpass Protest
Every Tuesday, 4:00 - 5:30pm
Capitol Drive at I-43 (between 8th and 9th), Milwaukee
Bring a sign or hold one of ours.
Find updates and more events on Facebook at Shorewood Resists
Weekly Bridge Brigade
Every Thursday, 4:00-5:30pm
Lincoln Avenue I-43/94 Overpass
We have a new message every week and people are welcome to come and wave, help us hold up the letter frames or bring their own signs for the Lincoln Avenue traffic. Join us on Facebook at Bridge Brigade MKE
Speak Up Saturdays
Every Saturday, 10:00-11:30am
76th and Layton, Greenfield
East Castle Saturday Group Protest
Saturdays, 1:00-1:30pm
Downer Ave., east side of the street, between Bradford Ave. and Lake Dr.
Tosa Weekly Peaceful Protest
Saturdays, 12:00-2:00pm
Corners of 76th and Bluemound & 76th and North.
Questions? Call Jean at 414.531.3187 |  | |
LGBTQ+ Equality: It's About Everyone's Freedom to Pick the Book They Want
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A Wyoming librarian will receive a $700,000 settlement after being fired for keeping books in her libraries that contained LGBTQ+ themes and sex education. This is a major win for librarians and communities fighting against numerous book bans across the nation.
In Wisconsin, there are more than 400 books banned. Within the last year, "The Queer Bible" by Jack Guinness was banned from the Germantown School District and "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson was banned from the Plateville School District. With Banned Book Week happening the second week of October, there is an emphasis on raising awareness of the growing campaign to ban books with themes surrounding LGBTQ+ characters and stories.
Access to LGBTQ+ books promotes empathy and understanding, helps with self-discovery, and improves the well-being of students and readers. Libraries are currently fighting against censorship and upholding the First Amendment by pushing back against book bans.
If you're interested in working with our LGBTQ+ committee, please email k.vance@lwvmilwaukee.org.
LGBTQ+ All Letters Matter
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|  | | Planned Parenthood Resumes Abortion Services
Planned Parenthood of WI will resume abortion services after pausing them for a month, according to an article in the Oct. 27 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The pause was enacted to allow time for the organization to analyze the new federal tax and spending "Big Beautiful Bill."
Planned Parenthood President and CEO Tanya Atkinson said the organization is relinquishing its federal "Essential Community Provider" status, and that doing so would let them continue to accept Medicaid reimbursement for non-abortion services. More than half of the patients served by Planned Parenthood are covered (WI Badgercare). It has been illegal for federal funds to be used for most abortions since the passage of the Hyde Amendment in 1976.
|  | | This is the Help Milwaukee Immigrants are Asking For
From the Immigration Advocacy Committee:
Train-the-Trainer for Immigrants to Know Their Rights
Monday, November 10, 5:30-7:00
Voces de la Frontera office, 737 W. Historic Mitchell St.
Voces de la Frontera and Milwaukee Turners both say this is the most requested assistance by immigrants. Our undocumented immigrant neighbors are asking Voces de la Frontera for training so they can be prepared if ICE comes to their doors.
Voces needs trainers. They have a waiting list of people asking for help. You can answer their call for assistance.
Voces de la Frontera will be holding a Know Your Rights training for the League of Women Voters and other interested parties. Deisy España, Voces Organizer/Case Manager, will educate us about immigrants’ rights and explain how we can in turn help immigrants be prepared for ICE. We need Spanish speakers, but it’s not required. Come and see what you can do.
For questions or to confirm your attendance, contact Diane Steigerwald at d.steigerwald@lwvmilwaukee.org
| With the lease of another building in Milwaukee by ICE, it's time to tell our elected officials that we don't want ICE in our town. So below is a League member's letter as an idea for writing your own email or a letter to your elected officials.
But do it soon, please.
Dear _____,
I am writing to express urgent concern about the expansion of ICE's presence in Milwaukee. We can look to our neighbor, Chicago, and other parts of the country to understand the chaos that results from their increased enforcement actions and presence.
News reports, photos, and videos show ICE agents descending from Black Hawk helicopters to conduct a raid in the early hours of the morning on a south side apartment building. Citizens of Chicago, along with their children, were dragged out of their beds, some partially naked, and were zip-tied in the streets while ICE agents ripped up their homes. Once again, children were separated from their parents. When is this ever acceptable?
The raid mentioned is one of many ICE operations across the country that have disrupted communities, causing unnecessary trauma, hardship, and violence. You can see that many cities in this country face the risk of militarization. No one, whether immigrant or citizen, is safe from the brutal and inhumane tactics of these ICE agents.
Please let me know what plan the (state, county, city) has to prevent the same fate from befalling Milwaukee.
Thank you for considering the voices and welfare of our community.
Sincerely,
|  | This might be for you!
The LWVMC Speakers Bureau is recruiting volunteers to:
• speak at community events
• create clear, engaging presentations
• reach out for new speaking opportunities
• schedule speaking opportunities
Interested? Want more information? Have questions?
Contact Mary Voelker at m.voelker@lwvmilwaukee.org
| Why monthly giving?
· It puts less stress on your wallet and is sent automatically monthly.
· It increases your impact over time.
· It connects you to League’s work year-round.
Become a monthly donor today!
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For the third year in a row, LWVMC sponsored a table at the Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP’S Freedom Fund Dinner on Friday, October 17, 2025. The table, promoted by the DEI committee, was endorsed by the Board of Directors. It literally reflected our diversity, equity and inclusion commitment. Our table included MATC student Rickiyah Wallace, MC League President Peg Schrader, DEI Co-Chair Elizabeth Harris-Hodge, DEI Co-Chair Karen Nelson, her husband, Stanford Nelson, Membership Co-Chair Liddie Collins and LWVMC admin Kelly Holzer. Not pictured: Eloisa Gomez. DEI is part of our National Mission, and we are thrilled to be in continued partnership with the NAACP. | Voter Outreach a Big Success at Dia de los Muertos Festival
The Comite por el Vote Latino team joined the Day of the Dead celebration in Forest Home Cemetery Oct 25. A huge thank you to Esperanza Gutierrez, Barbara Medina, Carole Montgomery, Maria Avila and Diane Steigerwald (lead), who had an active and fun voter education table at this beautiful celebration and resource fair. League members interacted with about 300 attendees and other tablers / vendors. Families were attracted to the civics questions spin wheel and enjoyed the cool stickers and buttons, pens and candy. Taking photos with the picture frame of Su voto es su voz (Your vote is your voice) was popular. Instructions were given to about 20 people on how to check their voter registration, see their sample ballot before an election and use vote411. People who were already registered said they would go to the MyVote website. Many participants in the celebration expressed appreciation for the League’s advocacy and voter information. |  |  | |
MyVote Online Voter Registration & Photo ID for Voter Voting In-Person Training
Thursday, Nov. 6th, 6:00 pm -- 7:30 pm
League offices- Summit Place, 6737 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.
Questions regarding this announcement? Please email e.aelion@lwvmilwaukee.org
This training is especially important for anyone interested in jail-based voting registration opportunities. | | Leadership opportunity in Voter Services
(Perfect for new or newer LWVMC member)
The Waukesha County Volunteer Coordinator position for VOTE411 is open. The position coordinates the work of Community Volunteers who contact municipal and school board clerks for candidate contact information prior to inviting candidates to participate in the VOTE411 online Voter guide. You don’t need to live in Waukesha. Great leadership opportunity for a new or newer League member. You’ll work with Beth Lueck, VOTE411 Team Co-chair and Milwaukee County Volunteer Coordinator. Get involved with voter education using the League’s award-winning Online Voter Guide! Experience with VOTE411 is not required.
If you are interested or want more information, please contact Beth Lueck at b.lueck@lwvmilwaukee.org. | Long-term I-94 Construction May Affect Office Access
Prepare for road closures along east-west I-94 as a seven-year construction project begins in November. The construction will expand I-94 to four lanes in each direction, reconstruct the Hawley Road Interchange as a half-interchange, and reconstruct the 68th Street/70th Street Interchange, according to WisDOT. Drivers are advised to check the project's website and plan alternate routes. | Lots of Ways to Support Local Democracy and Your League. Thank You! | Follow us on Social Media! | You have received this message from the mailing list of League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County. If you would prefer not to receive these emails in the future, go to the opt-out page and modify your privacy settings. You can also request to be removed from our database completely. | |