 |  |  | | Most Dangerous Women: Women of the West is a 35-minute documentary made from 2019-2023, a project of Milwaukee-based New Moon Productions, directed by Janet Fitch, a long-time Milwaukee LWV member and board member. Most Dangerous Women presents the often untold and little-known stories of women changemakers working to create a more just and equitable world. They were and often still are labeled dangerous, yet their resilient persistence continues to be essential in creating positive change. This episode, Women of the West , begins in Wyoming, the first governmental territory in the world to recognize women’s right to vote and to hold public office, and whose female elected officials remain powerful voices on the national stage. In the film, contemporary leaders reflect on this early legacy of visible women, as well as the challenges they and their peers face today, and their hopes for the future.
Janet hoped that this would be a pilot for a series of documentaries from different parts of the country, but her death last year cut this hope short. Please feel free to share this film with any people or group you would like, in her spirit and honor. If you would like a toolkit to go with the film, with discussion questions, links to additional films and resources, and ideas for how to document the lives of dangerous women in your life, please contact me. I was fortunate to serve as Janet's assistant and the historical consultant on the film, so would also be happy to present the film to groups and answer questions.
Merry Wiesner-Hanks, merrywh@uwm.edu | Vote NO: August 13 Federal Funds Constitutional Amendment Questions
Overview
Wisconsin voters will be asked two questions to amend (change) the constitution on their August ballot. These potential changes will impact both the process for distributing federal money, and who has the power to make those decisions. These large sweeping changes will impact a wide range of issues voters care about, from education to the environment to how quickly the government can respond to emergencies (like a public health crisis or a natural disaster).
The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin knows that if these amendments are passed they will be harmful to the people of our state. We urge voters to VOTE NO on both questions.
Voters must be prepared to answer these questions in the August 13, 2024 election.
The questions on voters’ ballots 
 Question 1: “Delegation of appropriation power. Shall section 35 (1) of article IV of the constitution be created to provide that the legislature may not delegate its sole power to determine how moneys shall be appropriated?”
Read more about what this question means  Ballotpedia Question 1
Question 2: “Allocation of federal moneys. Shall section 35 (2) of article IV of the constitution be created to prohibit the governor from allocating any federal moneys the governor accepts on behalf of the state without the approval of the legislature by joint resolution or as provided by legislative rule?”
Read more about what this question means Ballotpedia Question 2
What does a “Yes” or a “No” vote mean?
 A "yes" vote supports amending the state constitution to require legislative approval from both the senate and assembly before the governor can expend federal money appropriated to the state.
A "no" vote opposes this amendment, thereby allowing the governor to accept and allocate federal funds without seeking an approval vote from the state legislature.
Stance: The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin opposes these constitutional amendment questions and urges voters to VOTE NO on both questions.
And here’s a toolkit with more information about the amendments, social media posts and other deep dive information about these issues.
NO to Amendments Toolkit
| Action Alert
Oppose! the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act
On May 16, LWVUS joined coalition partners to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require citizenship documentation to cast a ballot, despite the fact that voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering to vote.
League members are encouraged to contact the Chair of the Committee on House Administration, Bryan Steil (D-WI). See sample letter here. | Want to get more involved? Contact these committees |
GOTV Mailings: Be Aware
Legitimate but Confusing
This month, the non-partisan and non-profit Voter Participation Center (VPC) and the Center for Voter Information (CVI) have mailed approximately 187,333 voter registration applications to eligible Wisconsin citizens to encourage voter participation. The letters begin "According to our review of publicly available records, someone at this address might not be registered to vote. . ."
The mailings can be confusing and upsetting for people who are already registered to vote. The voter registration forms they include in the mailing are legitimate, but they are sometimes wrong in implying a person isn't registered when they actually are. If you know someone who has received the mailing, please advise them that they can confirm or update their registration directly at Wisconsin's online voter registration website: myvote.wi.gov. | FUND DEVELOPMENT - MONEY MATTERS |  |
LWVMC Spring Appeal
Twice a year (Spring and End-of-Year), the League of Women Voters appeals to its membership for donations to help sustain the organization. Why do we need financial donations from members when we pay dues? The answer is that individual membership is currently $75, with $13 staying here at LWVMC. We send $32 to LWV US and $30 to LWV Wisconsin.This amount ($13 per member) does not pay for our budgeted operating and program expenses.
Our goal is to raise $10,000 from the 2024 Spring appeal. You recently received the Spring Appeal letter from Nancy Maloney, LWVMC President. If you have misplaced the letter or don’t remember receiving it, please find an electronic version here.
- Technology and software (Club Express, QuickBooks) costs
- Paper, postage, mailing and printing costs
- Rent, utilities, and salary for part-time administrative staff.
- Posters, flyers, bookmarks, buttons, and other voter registration and GOTV materials
- VOTE411.org
- Tablets and hotspots for voter registration events
- Meeting and outreach materials for Advocacy committees
We are 25% of the way toward our $10,000 goal for the Spring Appeal. Please give what you can that is aligned with your personal budget and the worth you put on the grassroots work of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County.
You can donate by check made payable to League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County and mailed to the league office at 6737 West Washington Avenue, Suite 2218, West Allis, WI 53214. Or you can donate by credit card at www.lwvmilwaukee.org
THANK YOU!! |  | Special Elections this Summer and Fall
The Governor has called special elections in both State Senate District 4 and Congressional District 8. Special elections often fly under the radar for most voters, so it’s important to plan ahead.
Voters in State Senate District 4 mark your calendars and make your plan to vote in this important special election. The winner of this special election will complete the remaining term of State Senator Lena Taylor.
Key Dates:
Voters in Congressional District 8 will have a Special Election to fill the unfinished term of 8th District Congressman Mike Gallagher. Of note, this Special Election will occur at the same time the August Primary (8/13) and the November Election (11/5).
This means that the office of Representative to Congressional District 8 will appear TWICE on voter’s ballots - once for the Special Election and again for the General Election. Voters should be prepared to vote in both contests.
The winner of the Special Election will complete the remainder of the current term and the winner of the General Election will serve the next term, beginning in January 2024.
As we get closer to the elections, be sure to check VOTE411.org for information about the candidates.
FIND YOUR DISTRICT
|  |
VOTE411 Usage and Candidate Participation
The League’s VOTE411 voter guide is an online tool for voters. LWVMC invites candidates running for local races to participate in the voter guide by answering important League questions to their constituents.
The VOTE411 Team invited 342 candidates in 190 races to participate in online voter guides for the February primary and the April elections. Thirty-one (31) of 52 primary candidates (59.6%) participated in the February primary election online voter guide. One hundred thirty-three (133) of 326 candidates (40.8%) participated in the April election online voter guide. Ninety-eight (98) of 179 candidates (54.7%) responded to the League’s questions in contested races and 30 of 147 candidates (20.4%) in uncontested races.
A special shout-out goes to Anita Gulotta-Connelly and the team of League members who contacted the community about using VOTE411 as an election resource and to candidates for participating.Regarding usage, there were just over 8,000 users in Spring 2023 and almost 9,000 users in Spring 2024, which is a significant jump!! Regarding candidate participation, participation in the February primary exceeded that in 2023. Candidate participation in the April election closely followed participation rates in the previous year. | LWVMC Value Proposition
The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County now has a Value Proposition about who we are and the issues that our donors and others care about. We extend a huge thank you to LWVMC member and volunteer Mary Rode. Mary wrote the content and then worked with Maddie Mason on the layout and design. The result is a professionally created document that we can be very proud to have for our marketing and fund development. You can access the Value Proposition here.
The value proposition is a one-page, two-sided document explaining our mission, history, and impact. We will use it as supplemental information in our grant applications. It will also be used to inform and influence our supporters and donors and the public at large.
You can use the value proposition to explain our work and why you are a member and volunteer to your friends and colleagues as you expand our efforts to identify and cultivate prospective supporters and donors. Please feel free to print it out and make copies to share with others in your network!! | Next Steps For Fair Maps Coalition
Following the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision in the Clarke v. Wisconsin Election Commission case that the 2021 legislative voting district maps were unconstitutional, and the passage and signing of Governor Evers’s maps, Wisconsin has fair maps for the 2024 election!
Now it's on to the next phase: promoting a fair, transparent, nonpartisan redistricting process to ensure an end to gerrymandering. If you'd like to be involved, contact the Fair Maps Team Leaders listed below:
North Shore Fair Maps (Milwaukee, Washington, & Ozaukee Counties)
Debbie Patel: deborah.j.patel@gmail.com
Cheryl Maranto: cmaranto4860@gmail.com
Waukesha County
Vicki Aro-Schackmuth: varoschackmuth@gmail.com
Keep up with developments by signing up for the WI Fair Maps Coalition newsletter here. |  | June 28th, 10:00 a.m.
Milwaukee Public Library East Branch Community Room
2320 N Cramer St, Milwaukee
At our May meeting we chose our books for June and August. In June we will discuss: These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs―and Wrecks―America by Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner. For a synopsis of it, as well as info on our August selection, CLICK HERE.
We encourage everyone to come to the League Cafe. Remember, it is not necessary to finish the book (or read it at all!) to come to a meeting of the League Cafe.
Please contact any one of us should you have questions. Thank you!
Marie Garnhart: smgarnhart@gmail.com
Pat McFarland: p.mcfarland@lwvmilwaukee.org
Mary Ellen Spicuzza: me.spicuzza@lwvmilwaukee.org |  | |
Prepare yourself to help people register to vote!
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. Registration required.
Thursday, June 27 | 5:30 pm- 7:00 pm | St. Mark AME Church, 1616 W. Atkinson
Questions regarding this announcement? Please email e.aelion@lwvmilwaukee.org
| Accessing Members-Only Website Portal
The LWVMC website has information and resources that are available only to LWVMC members. To access the membership directory or members-only resources and volunteer opportunities, click on the button below. Contact Mary Ellen Spicuzza at me.spicuzza@lwvmilwaukee.org with any questions. | 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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