What's really flowing down the Mississippi? From midwestern farm fields to the Gulf of Mexico, the story of water, agriculture, and the River's health affects us all. Join us for a lunch-hour conversation with author and research engineer Dr. Chris Jones, whose acclaimed book The Swine Republic pulls back the curtain on how modern agriculture drives water pollution—and what it will take to turn the tide. Whether you're interested in farming and agricultural policy or simply care about water and our Mighty Mississippi, you'll leave with a deeper understanding of how upstream actions ripple all the way to the Gulf. 

Register here.

Vigil during the Hannah Dugan Trial

More details to follow

LWVMC Co-Sponsors Celebration of Member Janet Fitch's Work

Tuesday Dec. 16, 6:00-7:30 pm 

Lubar Center, UWM Campus

Nicholas Innovation Commons (room #105)

A public celebration of the work of Milwaukee filmmaker, activist and LWVMC member Janet Fitch will be held at UWM on the second anniversary of her death in 2023. The event will include a brief introduction to the recently-completed and free to use web archive for all Janet’s films, a screening of her last film, Most Dangerous Women: Women of the West, and time for discussion and mingling. The event is sponsored by the Women’s Fund of Milwaukee, the UWM Women’s and Gender Studies Department, and the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County. The event is free, but registration is appreciated:  https://www.newmoononline.org/event

Did you know that Palantir Technologies, a data mining company, has been in partnership with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since 2014? In April 2025, ICE entered into a $30 million contract with Palantir to develop ImmigrationOS, which will use AI and data mining to identify, track, and deport suspected non-citizens. 

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 data mining tools 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: bit.ly/no-FRT-script

Stand Up For Food Security

The suspension of SNAP benefits during the government shutdown caused hardship for people reliant on these benefits. About 700,000 people are covered by Wisconsin’s version of SNAP, called FoodShare. More adverse changes are here or coming because of changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”). Older Americans must satisfy new work requirements, some immigrants are shut out of SNAP, nutrition education funding is eliminated, and costs shift from the federal government to the states. 

Please write to your members of Congress to support these bills. Your voice matters. And, looking ahead to the 2026 elections, make sure food security is an issue that’s front and center for candidates and potential candidates; tell them it is for you.

Action Alert!

Milwaukee County Resolution on Data Centers - District 1 Co. Supervisor and LWVMC member Anne O’Connor has sponsored a Resolution (County File No. 25-781) regarding data centers. The Milwaukee County Committee on Intergovernmental Relations passed the resolution on December 1st and it now goes to the County Board on December 18.  Please contact your County Supervisor and ask them in your own name to support the Resolution. 

Data Center Accountability bill - Pending Wisconsin legislation, Legislative Reference Bureau 5432, is the first measure that promises to hold tech and utility companies accountable when building, powering, and operating data centers in Wisconsin. Drafted in consultation with state-wide environmental organizations, labor unions and key stakeholders, LRB 5432 ensures communities and ratepayers aren’t left bearing the financial and environmental costs of data centers.  Watch here for future information. 

Nov 22nd program, Addressing Climate Change in Milwaukee County a success!  The video of the event is now posted on the homepage of our LWVMC website. As we locally support addressing climate change, we help address it globally, all based on adopted LWV positions (see also the League's Impact on Issues  for more information). on climate change, public participation in decision-making and much more. 

Hatred of Data Centers - Despite deep societal divisions in the U.S. today, data centers are an emerging issue that unifies people, whether of red or blue persuasion. It  is now an emerging issue in local and state races with some opposition based on the broader concern about the power tech companies wield. The public is demanding greater transparency and accountability.  For more information click here. 

Passport Sex-at-Birth Proof Applies to Everyone

After the Supreme Court’s November 6, 2025 decision, the Trump administration’s rule requiring all U.S. passports to list sex assigned at birth is now in effect. This reverses recent practice allowing gender-marker changes and the “X” option. The rule applies to all Americans, not only transgender or non-binary applicants.

 How It Affects Everyone

Even for people whose documents already match their sex at birth, the process may now be slower and more demanding:

• Hard-to-find birth certificates, especially for older adults or those born at home or in states with incomplete archives.

• Routine name changes (marriage, divorce, adoption) that may trigger additional scrutiny.

• Foreign-born citizens whose birth records may lack a sex marker or be difficult to obtain.

Groups Most Impacted

• Transgender, non-binary, and intersex Americans, who may be forced to carry documents that don’t reflect who they are and put their safety at risk.

• Older, low-income, and foreign-born individuals, who may face delays or added costs securing records.

Unresolved Ambiguities

Key questions remain about whether some existing passports could eventually require revalidation; whether all renewals will require birth certificates; how foreign documents will be evaluated; and how missing or incomplete records will be judged. Privacy protections for this expanded personal data have also not been clarified.

 Overall

A once-routine renewal is now a more complex—and potentially invasive—process, raising concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and equitable access to travel.

• Bring a sign or flag. No upside-down flags please.
• Volunteer to hold one of our “Be the Change” signs.
• Volunteer to hold one of our signs in the “Signs of Facism” display.

Action Request; Opposing Military Deployments in our Cities

Military troops do not belong on our streets and should never be used to police civilians. Yet in recent months, we have seen an escalation in the use of deploying troops and militarized federal agents into communities across the U.S. by the administration. These deployments blur the lines between the military and law enforcement – and are setting us on a path straight from the authoritarian playbook.

The administration's actions put our neighbors in danger of having their rights violated and service members in legal and ethical jeopardy. The administration is undermining the public's trust in a nonpartisan military, creating political conflict, and draining military resources that should be reserved for genuine emergencies like a humanitarian disaster. We must all push back at this moment – and Congress especially must take action. Send a message now urging your Senator to protect our freedoms by co-sponsoring the Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Army National Guard combat veteran.

If you missed the LWVWI Issues Briefing in October, you can still access the excellent presentations on the three branches of government.  Over three sessions, participants learned about the powers belonging to each branch, and how we've arrived at our current Constitutional Crisis. Most importantly, the presenters addressed questions and concerns from attendees and left them with hope that there are actions we can take as advocates, voters, and activists to preserve our democracy and right this ship.

You can find the recordings for each session below. If you find them worthwhile, please feel free to share them with friends and associates. Knowledge is power.

 RECORDING: The Crisis in Our Executive Branch with Lauren Miller Karalunas

 RECORDING: The Crisis in Our Legislative Branch with Eleanor Neff Powell + "Wellness First Aid" with Carmen Fontanez and Lexy Lunger

League of Women Voters Milwaukee County at SOPHIA in Waukesha

The Acacia Center for Justice Announces A New Program and an “Ask” for League Members

The Acacia Center, a non-profit, supports and partners with a national network of human rights defenders who provide legal defense to immigrants at risk of detention or deportation.  

They’ve debuted a new program called Witness 4 Justice (W4J); an opportunity to observe and report on immigration court proceedings. As more people are held in immigration detention and many move through the system without legal representation it is increasingly important that the public understand what is happening inside of the immigration system which largely goes unseen.

It is legal to observe immigration court proceedings, except for asylum hearings. Observation can be done in-person or virtually. Sessions generally last a couple of hours. Volunteers with W4J attend online orientation and training sessions before they begin.

After observing, participants are asked to complete an online form recording information about what they have seen. 

LWVMC member Joy Olson is on the board of the Acacia Center for Justice. She is also a court observation volunteer with W4J. You can register for volunteer training here.  If you would like more information, please contact Joy at joyolson@msn.com.

Boswell Book company has invited the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County to participate in their gift wrapping fundraiser for the holidays.  Boswell will make a donation to the League, and we can collect tips from the wrapping station!

• Saturday, December 6 from 2:00 pm until 5:30 pm
• Monday, Dec 15 from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm
• Wednesday, Dec 17 from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm

Please be sure to thank Boswell for their support of the League when making your purchases.

The Natural Resources Committee will meet by Zoom on Wednesday, December 10 at 6:00 p.m.

Carol Diggelman and Louise Petering have joined Ann Batiza as co-chairs of this committee.  New members are welcome!  Besides the monthly update from Joe Dubaniewicz on electronic vehicles and renewable energy sources as well as a report from the Climate Action Group, we will consider how to educate our members locally as a study on nuclear energy, initiated by Carol Diggelman, is being submitted to the State League with the support of the State Natural Resources Committee.