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Save the Date: LWVMC New Leaders Orientation
If you’ve recently begun heading one of our committees, teams, or other groups . . . congratulations and thank you! You may now wish to get more up to speed on League organization, processes, and lingo. An in-person orientation on these matters will be held at Summit Place (Room 2136) on Thursday, July 30, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please mark your calendar. We urge you to attend live but, if you cannot, you’ll be able to join a virtual orientation early in the Fall. |  |  | |
South Side Election Observers Needed
As part of our League’s role in election protection, Our South Side Voter team - Comité por Voto Latino - has joined with Voces de la Frontera (VOCES) to sponsor a special election observer program focused on the South Side polling places. The goal is to recruit at least 20 League trained observers who will be eyes and ears at critical south side polling stations. While the hope is to recruit bilingual Spanish speakers, the observers do not have to be completely fluent in Spanish. Most importantly they need to be able to observe and report any election interference. You do not need to be a League member to participate. The meeting and training of these special observers will take place July 21st. | Primary Election Just 6 Weeks Away
Absentee ballots are in the mail. Once you receive your absentee ballot the Milwaukee County Election Commission recommends mailing it back to your municipal clerk by July 31st or earlier to ensure they arrive on time and are counted. If you prefer not to mail you ballot you can do the following:
- Ballot drop boxes Link to all Milwaukee County drop boxes
- Deliver to your municipal clerks office or designated site.
Important dates and deadlines for the Primary election
- July 22 - deadline to register online or by mail
- July 28th Early in person voting starts
- August 6th at 5pm - deadline to make absentee request
- August 7th at 5pm deadline to register to vote in person at your clerk’s office
- August 11th ELECTION DAY
Unsure about who to vote for in one of the primary elections such as for Governor? Vote411 is the place to get reliable, unbiased information. Try it here here and share the link with your friends and neighbors. |  | See Your Candidates for the Fall Primary Election on VOTE411.org
The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County has published its VOTE411 online Voter Guide for the August 11 Primary Election. We will find information about races for US Congress and Wisconsin State races. In local races, Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties each have a Sheriff and a Clerk of County Court race. On VOTE411, voters can learn more about the responsibilities of these offices and each candidate's answers to the League’s questions.
If you see that a local candidate has not answered the League’s questions, please reach out to the candidate. Ask them to answer our questions. If they say they did not receive the invitation, ask them to check their spam mail. If not there, they can email Sue Leister at voterguide@lwvmilwaukee.org and she will resend the invitation to participate in VOTE411. |  | |
What will you do for the Spring 2027 elections to protect our Democracy?
We are reaching out this year in a new way to get ideas for creating questions to ask local candidates running for office during the 2027 Spring Election. The League asks candidates questions on VOTE411.org about issues important to their constituents. We invite everyone to provide feedback about important issues in your community. Please complete this survey.
In the survey, we also ask you to identify your voting district information. As a member of the League of Women Voters, we contact our elected officials about current issues and current legislation. As you complete the survey, please answer the optional questions about your voting districts which we find on www.myvote.wi.gov.
Feel free to contact Mary Sue Kristiansen or Mary Voelker at voterguidequestions@lwvmilwaukee.org with any questions.
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League Voting Teams Need Volunteers
One of the core activities of our league is to help register voters and provide information about the upcoming elections. To do this work requires many volunteers. From now through November nine of our teams need volunteers to help with this critical work. Watch the Update for opportunities but also go to the website and look for a team to join or go to the voter services section to find volunteer opportunities. I am asking all members to help with this critical work to empower voters in Milwaukee County.
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Voter Services Community Outreach Needs You!
To continue to do what LWVMC does in the community, voter education/registration, we need your time. There are a variety of table volunteer opportunities coming up in July and August. This is a time to connect with our communities. Go to our web site and click on Be a Volunteer and then the drop down to volunteer. Then scroll down to One-Time Volunteer Opportunities. These volunteer opportunities are waiting for you. We need your time, not a lot but a few hours here and there. I look forward to seeing you in the community educating and registering voters. Any questions contact Liddie Collins-Siegrist at l.collins-siegrist@lwvmilwaukee.org. | |
Higher Education Committee Needs Volunteers
Two members have stepped forward to lead our HIgher Education Team: Genene Hibbler and Rebecca Ellenbecker.
The team has hit the ground running and already have gotten positive response from a number of area colleges including: MSOE, Mount Mary University, MATC, Concordia and Marquette. They are still hoping to develop partnerships with UW Milwaukee and Alverno.
All they now need is a team of League Volunteers with passion to engage young voters at these campuses. If you believe this is an area where you can help please send an email to Genene or Rebecca.
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Evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Program Replaced by Ideologic, Ineffective Abstinence
By Charlie Gaebler-Uhing, Co-chair, Reproductive Rights Committee
On Friday, June 26 the Health Human Services quietly rescinded funding immediately for all but four of the evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs in the US. The stated reason for the cancellation of the grant funds was because these programs promoted sexual activity. This reason is a hard sell when over the past two decades these programs have been responsible for a 76% reduction of the US teen pregnancy rate and the percentage of high schoolers reporting having sexual activity is at a historic low of 32% (CDC YRBS data).
The Wisconsin program most impacted was PATCH, Providers and Teens Communicate for Health that focuses on giving teens and their medical providers better communication skills. Learn more about the Wisconsin Impact.
After PATCH lost their funds, Sara Finger, Executive Director of Embolden, the agency managing PATCH’s grant, returned to the TPP web page to learn how she could restore funding. What she learned was disturbing. The TPP was not cancelled but the funds were being moved to support ideologic based programs promoting abstinence and natural fertility, programming that has no evidence of being effective in pregnancy and STI prevention. Her article identifies why PATCH will not be applying for these new grants and the concerns all of us should have that government funds are supporting ineffective, non-evidence-based TPP programs.
If you feel strongly teens should receive accurate and effective TPP, and not disinformation, contact your US congressman and senator to voice your concern.
You can help PATCH by following them @thepatchprogram on Instagram/Facebook or LinkedIn.
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LWVMC PLANNING for LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION 2026-27
JULY 18, 10-noon, In-person - Join the League’s Climate Action Group at Washington Park Library to plan for how we can educate and advocate locally to move us toward net-zero carbon by 2050. We all contribute to climate change. Let’s all contribute to addressing climate change in Milwaukee County’s municipalities and the County. YOUR IDEAS ARE CRITICAL to our planning. ALL ARE WELCOME! JOIN US ON THE 18th!
SAVE THE DATE
JULY 29, 5:30-8:30, Data Center Town Hall - Turner Hall, 1040 N Vel R. Phillips Ave, Milwaukee, WI., Sponsored by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A snapshot of how candidates view state vs. local control, business growth, utility costs, environmental protections, the use of government tax incentives and more.
REGISTER HERE.
LOCAL CLIMATE NEWS - GOING FORWARD! The Office of Sustainability is now the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Planning. The office will be involved in the initial planning for work on all County facilities so they are “green and resilient,” including the County Courthouse.
|  | LGBTQ+: Walking Through Milwaukee's LGBTQ+ History
By Kaye Vance, Co-Chair, LGBTQ+ Rights Committee
On June 28, Donna Spars and I joined a fascinating walking tour presented by Historic Milwaukee and the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project exploring Milwaukee's historic "Gayborhoods." The tour began at the site of the Black Nite Uprising (400 N. Plankinton Avenue), where LGBTQ+ patrons fought back against a violent attack on August 5, 1961—eight years before the better-known Stonewall Uprising in New York. Taking place on the anniversary of New York's Stonewall Uprising, the walk was a reminder that Milwaukee also has an important place in the history of the struggle for LGBTQ+ equality.
From Sailor Bars to Gayborhoods
As we walked through what is now Walker’s Point and the Third Ward, we learned about the many LGBTQ+ gathering places that once flourished throughout the city. These bars provided community, friendship, and safety at a time when serving LGBTQ+ patrons could bring legal consequences. Our guides explained that bar owners lived with constant police scrutiny and the risk of raids or arrests. Yet they also described how enforcement was often inconsistent, with officers at times looking the other way or tolerating the establishments through informal financial arrangements—a reflection of the complicated realities of the era.
We also learned about the legendary Sailor Ann, who operated one of Milwaukee's early "sailor bars"—establishments that became important gathering places and are considered predecessors of the city's later gay bars. During Prohibition and the years that followed, she endured repeated arrests but reportedly joked, "So many arrests—only one conviction." Her determination became part of Milwaukee's LGBTQ+ legacy.
It Is About Human Rights
The walk was a powerful reminder that Milwaukee's LGBTQ+ history is rich, resilient, and worthy of being remembered and shared. Preserving and sharing these stories helps us better understand the importance of protecting the civil rights, dignity, and full civic participation of every member of our community. As League members committed to protecting democracy and equal rights, understanding this history reminds us that progress has always depended on ordinary people willing to stand up for dignity, equality, and the right of every person to live openly and participate fully in civic life. | To stay informed about legislation affecting the LGBTQ+ community and track advocacy efforts, visit Fair Wisconsin’s Bills to Watch page:
fairwisconsin.com/bills-to-watch
To identify and contact your state legislators and relevant committee members, use MyVote Wisconsin: myvote.wi.gov
Speaking up matters.
LGBTQ+ ... All Letters Matter! | |
Skills Training to Optimize Your Impact
Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 9:00 AM till 12:00 Noon.
For more information click here. | | | Do you interact with community members at voter registration and tabling events? Do you belong to the Speakers Bureau and speak with groups? Here is an opportunity to develop your interpersonal skills that shape how you work with others. As our world becomes more polarized, now is the time to take your interaction and presentation skills to the next level. Now is the time to add to your existing expertise.
Dr. Phillip Chard is providing free training to LWVMC members and their guests on Saturday, August 15, 20206 from 9:00 AM till 12:00 Noon at Summit Place (6737 West Washington Street in West Allis) in Room 2135.
Click here for more information.
Click here to register yourself, as a member of LWVMC and your guests. |  |  | |
As you may have heard, ICE ramped up its arrest activity in Milwaukee beginning the last weekend in June. From June 26-June 30, Voces de la Frontera confirmed 26-28 detentions of which the majority of the individuals had no criminal record and, in many cases, had open asylum cases. There have been four examples of excessive force and at least two of parents being taken in front of their children.
There is every reason to believe that this heightened enforcement activity will continue. It has been widely reported that ICE has been given a goal of 2,000 arrests nationwide daily.
What can you do?
ICE Out is a coalition of seven organizations, including Voces de la Frontera, Milwaukee Turners, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Wisconsin Muslim Civic Association, MICAH, Interfaith and No Kings, who are supporting immigrants in our community. Sign up for notices from ICE Out about events or actions you can take in support of immigrants at ICE OUT MKE Interest Form. This will include calls for donations of food, baby products, etc. needed by immigrants due to loss of income or fear of leaving their house.
Drivers are needed to move previously donated supplies from drop-off to distribution points and to families. Please volunteer here: Volunteer for Immigrant Families.
The League has an Immigration Advocacy Committee that provides hands-on assistance to immigrants in Milwaukee County. If you’re interested in working with us, please email Donna Spars, committee chair, at d.spars@lwvmilwaukee.org.
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PLEASE JOIN AT LEAST THREE LEAGUE MEMBERS WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROTEST BELOW. WE WILL BE HOLDING LETTERS SPELLING OUT A SIGN IN HOURLY SHIFTS. THANK YOU.
| Resistance Against the Administration
Bridge Demonstration
Barker Rd. Bridge at I-94
Saturday, July 18, 10:00-2:00, signup for 1 or more hour-long shifts
For more information, signup here Brookfield Bridge Demonstration
*Please note that this event is on the weekend designated this year to honor Congressman John Lewis. So let’s follow the lead of that great man and make some “Good Trouble”. |  | Keep Politics out of Science
Call Senators Johnson and Baldwin
Stand Up for Science: Oppose the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) political attacks on scientific research. OMB’s latest proposed rule, “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance,” would require all scientific grants to be approved by political appointees, stealing approval power from career experts in their fields. Funding would be required to align with “Administration policies and priorities.” Political appointees selecting or approving research proposals destroys the scientific process. This is a direct threat to scientific independence, public health, and evidence-based decision-making.
Stand Up for Science includes links to the full proposed rule and to two different overviews, a guide to leaving public comments, and a section on how to talk to anyone about the new OMB rule.
The page dedicated to helping you phone your Senators and Representative in Congress includes a form for your name, address, and email. Once you fill that in, you will be provided with the name and phone number of one of your Senators together with a script. The pull-down menu next to that name lets you select the other Senator and the Representative. | History Shows Us that Protests Matter
Why do protests matter?
Visible resistance is essential so the government and its supporters see the number of citizens who don’t agree with their actions. Nonviolent visible protest activity encourages those sitting on the sidelines to join in. Here is the link to the listing of ongoing weekly protests: Protest Rallies |  | |
Comedy, Conversation, and Community – Saturday, July 11
Looking for a fun evening that also encourages thoughtful conversation? Consider attending The Muslims Are Coming! with Equally Threatening Friends! on Saturday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at The Laughing Tap, 761 N. Jefferson St., Milwaukee. Tickets may be purchased through the official event page: The Muslims Are Coming! at The Laughing Tap.
The event is being filmed as part of a documentary exploring the challenges of polarization in our society, including its impact on the LGBTQ+ community. Representatives of the League of Women Voters Milwaukee County will participate in the documentary.
The show features acclaimed comedians Negin Farsad, Dean Obeidallah, Adam Burke, and Mehran Khagani, whose work has appeared on programs including Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, StarTalk, and CNN. | |
Rid Racism Milwaukee
Love Your Neighbor Love Your Community
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
3722 S 58th St, Milwaukee
Thursday, July 23rd 6:30-8:30 pm
Rid Racism Milwaukee. SE WI Indivisible, and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church invite you to join us for a Love Your Neighbor Love Your Community in-person event. By asking questions and listening to each other, we will explore ways we can imagine, build, and maintain the beloved community. Join us in seeking community and building solidarity.
The event will be held in Our Lady of Lourdes Fellowship Hall located at 3722 S. 58th St. in Milwaukee on Thursday, July 23rd from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. We will have resources and light refreshments.
There will be a food drive at our event for the food pantry at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Please consider helping your neighbors experiencing hunger by bringing a non-perishable food item. Bring a friend, meet new friends, and make a difference. For further information and to register for the event, click here.
| Milwaukee County Historical Society
We The People: Milwaukee Stories of Immigration, Citizenship, and Community
910 N Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Exhibit Open Now | | The Milwaukee County Historical Society invites you to view their new exhibit, We The People: Milwaukee Stories of Immigration, Citizenship, and Community. On the 250th anniversary of the United States learn how immigrants shaped the history of Milwaukee in the past and continue to shape our history today. For further information on the exhibit, immigration resource, and to listen to immigrant stories, click here. | |
2026 African Cultural Festival
Brown Deer Park (Picnic Areas 2&3)
7835 N. Green Bay Rd., Milwaukee
Saturday, July 18th 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
| Is Your Member Profile Up-to-Date?
The Member Portal of our website has resources (including a member directory) just for members. Please login to the website, click Member Resources in the top menu, go to your Member Profile and complete/update your Additional Member Data and Interests (found under Website Functions). Contact roster@lwvmilwaukee.org with questions. Thank you! | So Many 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. | |