Join the LWVMC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team | | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Planning Meeting
Sunday, February 4, 2-4 p.m.
Summit Place, Glass Patio Rm, 1st Floor
6737 W. Washington Street
West Allis | | | LWVMC has a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan to implement. We need your ideas, energy and commitment to make it happen. Please join the conversation at an informational and planning meeting on Sunday, February 4, 2:00-4:00 p.m., in the Glass Patio Room, at Summit Place, 6737 W. Washington Street, West Allis. Meet your fellow leaguers and learn more about our exciting plans for 2024 and beyond. Use the “Visitor’s Entrance.” Ample free parking. Light refreshments will be served.
| Naturalization Team at the USCIS New Citizen Ceremony
|  | | On January 10th the Naturalization Team conducted its first ever voter registration event at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office at 310 E. Knapp Street. Prior to this event the Naturalization team had done all of its voter registration events at the Federal Courthouse, and these will continue; but during the pandemic there were first, no naturalization ceremonies, and when they began again at the Courthouse, the ceremonies were for people who needed name changes. In the meantime, as the pandemic subsided the USCIS office began conducting naturalization ceremonies at its office on Knapp Street. Recently we were able to meet with the USCIS staff and agree that the League could be present at these ceremonies.
On Jan. 10, five ceremonies were conducted with about 20 people at each ceremony. Of those 100 new citizens, we were able to register 22 and we were able to provide the voter registration information envelopes to all of the attendees.
The event was invigorating and we look forward to continuing to be present at USCIS events in the future. Thank you volunteers, Mary Jo McDonald, Team Leader, Karen Brubakken and Martha Davis-Kipcak. And thanks to Linda Neubauer, Team Leader, who helped to coordinate the event. |
DISABILITY RIGHTS COMMITTEE
Meeting To Be Rescheduled
The meeting on January 14, 2024 was canceled as storm conditions across the country caused a power outage for our speaker, Kathy Sharp, author of the book “Aging Into Poverty.” A new date is being determined. Please accept our apologies for any confusion and inconvenience. |  | |
Help Wanted…
Candidates for the 2024 Spring Primary election have been invited via email to participate in the 2024 Spring Voter Guide on VOTE411.org. The primary election is on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Candidate responses to the League’s questions are due on January 28 and the 2024 Spring Voter Guide on VOTE411.org will be published January 30.
If you know a candidate, encourage him/her to respond to our invitation and answer questions about issues important to his/her constituents. Answers are published verbatim so voters see the candidate’s answers in their own words. We do not edit the responses.
If a candidate does not recall getting an invitation (and it’s not in spam), they can contact Sarajane Kennedy at voter.guide@lwvmilwaukee.org
After the Voter Guide is published on January 30, you can help by volunteering to write emails about VOTE411 to friends, neighbors, relatives, and colleagues. We provide a sample script for your email.
Go to the Volunteer page on the League’s website and click on Date-Specific Opportunities: CLICK HERE |  | VOTE411 Team at Work
Four members of the VOTE411 team, the LWV’s online voter guide, met to enter the candidate names and contact info into the voter guide. Left to right: Mary Ellen Spicuzza, Teresa McClellan, Pete Neuwald, Sue Leister. Those four volunteers then entered the names of 343 separate candidates for 186 local municipal and county elections. On Fri., Jan. 5 we sent electronic invitations to the 50 candidates in the 12 primary races. Behind the scenes were over 40 other members who had obtained the information needed. The team will invite the remaining candidates later in the month. Additional volunteers are welcome. Contact Sarajane Kennedy at s.kennedy@lwvmilwaukee.org |
LWVMC In Milwaukee Rep Playbill
LWVMC is placing an ad in the playbill for a Milwaukee Repertory Theater performance titled, "What the Constitution Means to Me," which runs Feb. 6 to March 10. Ticket sales here. This is a great outreach for LWVMC: an audience of democracy-minded folks! | | |
Learn More About LWVWI Legislative Positions
The LWVWI Legislative Committee is making its work more accessible and widely available through a dedicated email list detailing the positions taken on legislation and including LWVWI positions and statements. The Committee hopes to empower League members and individuals of all backgrounds to advocate on state legislation with the information these emails provide. Anyone interested can sign up for the email list here. |
Fund Development / Money Matters
End-of-Year 2023 and new beginnings for 2024
There is still time to make an end-of-year donation that will increase the capacity of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County to empower voters and defend democracy in 2024. LWVMC retains $13 from the $75 membership fee with the rest going to the state and national leagues so your support is appreciated.
Donations can be made with a credit card at www.lwvmilwaukee.org/donate or by a check made payable to “LWVMC” mailed to 6737 West Washington Street, Suite 2218, West Allis, WI 53214. |  |
Local League Fundraising and Fund Development Training
Jan. 24th from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. via Zoom
Are you interested in the sustainability of our League? This is for you! The Wisconsin State League is offering a training session on Fund Development via a Zoom meeting. In addition to the fund development training, there will be a discussion about some of the ramifications with the new membership system that the National League is putting in place. The information is taken from the State's biweekly Update publication and includes the link to the Zoom session
| Candidate Forums - Volunteers Needed!
LWVMC provides facilitation services for Candidate Forums throughout the county, and we need volunteers in the roles of moderator, timer, greeter, question sorter and forum coordinator.
We need volunteers for two forums already scheduled for Jan. 23 and March 10. If you have never participated in a forum before, this is a great opportunity to see how it works. With the exception of moderator, the volunteer roles require little-to-no training! Volunteer sign-up is on our website Volunteer page
Jan. 30 Zoom info session: We have scheduled a Zoom information and training session for LWVMC candidate forums on Tuesday, January 30, 6-7 p.m. Register here.
Questions? Please contact Candidate Forums Coordinators Julie Bowles & Peggy Creer at
j.bowles@lwvmilwaukee.org or p.creer@lwvmilwaukee.org | Election Observers Needed on April 2
The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin (LWVWI) is recruiting volunteers across the state to observe the Spring Election on April 2. Election observers help ensure a fair election by watching for signs of voter disenfranchisement and intimidation, and by monitoring the way Wisconsin's election laws and procedures are being applied. Even if you only have a couple hours to spare on Election Day, you can still sign up to be an election observer. Learn more and sign up to volunteer today!
Volunteers will receive online training, a reporting form, a polling place assignment with flexible shifts, and an Election Day hotline number for questions or for reporting a problem. Questions? Contact LWVWI Voter Education Manager Eileen Newcomer at enewcomer@lwvwi.org or at (608)256-0827. Please share this opportunity with anyone who might be willing to be part of this vital program. | | LWVMC Seeks Coffee Sale Coordinator
LWVMC needs an organized and energetic volunteer to coordinate its annual coffee sale. You will organize teams for sales and distribution, track orders and promote sales. Over the past five years, the annual coffee sale has netted LWVMC more than $30,000. Put your leadership and organizing skills to work and help LWVMC realize its fundraising goals. LWVMC needs your time and talents. Training available. Interested? Contact Mary Sussman at m.sussman@lwv.milwaukee.org. | | |
The League Needs Hands-On Help!
LWVMC is a volunteer-powered organization, with lots of opportunities to engage in vital mission-focused work. Many of these jobs, such as newsletter editing or VOTE411 data management tasks, can be done from home on your own schedule. Others, such as voter registration events at high schools or at naturalization ceremonies, require in-person attendance -- but are so rewarding!
Please visit the Volunteer page of our website to see current opportunities. Visit Our Work page to learn more about League activities you may want to be a part of. Some of the volunteer gigs are for members only. If you have questions, please contact Mary Ellen Spicuzza at me.spicuzza@lwvmilwaukee.org. | Voter Registration Training Jan. 20
2024 is going to be a very busy election year. Have you thought about helping the League with voter registration? If so, this is your opportunity to learn about the twists and turns of the online voter registration process, including how to acquire an acceptable photo ID for voting in Wisconsin. Registration required.
January 20 Saturday | 10am-Noon
League of Women Voters Office - Summit Place
6737 W. Washington Street Atrium Conference Room
Questions? Please email Elizabeth Aelion at e.aelion@lwvmilwaukee.org .
|  | LEAGUE CAFE
Friday, Jan. 26th | 10 a.m. to Noon
East Branch - Milwaukee Public Library
2320 N Cramer St. Study Room 115
In the New Year, we are back to our usual meeting on the 4th Friday of the month. We will once again meet at the East Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library (East · MPL) but in January we will meet in Study Room 115 rather than the Community Room there.
Our January meeting will be a general discussion meeting, not about a particular topic or book. There will be time to continue the discussion of our December book, “Usual Cruelty,” and any other topic of interest to the group.
Our book choices for February and April are about immigration, particular to the State of Wisconsin. March will be a general discussion meeting. We will announce those meeting locations after reservations have been confirmed.
Book Choice for February 23, 2024 League Cafe Book Club
"Milked: How an American Crisis Brought Together Midwestern Dairy Farmers and Mexican Workers", by Ruth Conniff
Book Choice for April 26, 2024 League Cafe Book Club
"Obreros Unidos: The Roots and Legacy of the Farmworkers Movement", by Jesus Salas.
Remember, if you want to purchase one or both of these books at Boswell Books, online or at their store (www.boswellbooks.com | 2559 N Downer Ave, Milwaukee) mention you are a Member of the League Cafe Book Club for a 10% discount.
Warmest Regards,
Marie Garnhart, Pat McFarland and Mary Ellen Spicuzza |  | PBS - Jan. 23: Nazi Town, USA
In February 1939, more than 20,000 Americans filled Madison Square Garden for an event billed as a “Pro-American Rally.” Images of George Washington hung next to swastikas and speakers railed against the “Jewish controlled media” and called for a return to a racially “pure” America.
Premiering on PBS January 23 at 9/8c, Nazi Town, USA tells the largely unknown story of the Bund, which had scores of chapters in suburbs and big cities across the country. Its melding of patriotic values with virulent anti-Semitism raised thorny issues that persist today. | Milwaukee Film Festival Celebrates Black History Month in February
Milwaukee Film‘s sixth annual Black History Month celebration will showcase films curated by its Black Lens program, beginning February 1. The film series is “dedicated to the theme of reclamation—reclaiming ourselves, our stories, our genres, and our vibrant futures,” Black Lens Programmer Marquise Mays said. “The purpose extends beyond mere acknowledgment; it’s about embedding ourselves firmly into the fabric of cinema.” Learn more about the films, view trailers and buy tickets here. | Support Local Democracy. Support Your League.
Your support is critical to help our nonpartisan grassroots organization reach voters play a critical role in democracy. It would not be possible to empower voters and defend democracy without your support.
Thank you! LWVMC
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