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Good Trouble Lives On Demonstration
Thursday, July 17 at 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sidewalk in front of Cutler Park
321 Wisconsin Ave.
Waukesha, WI 53186
Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of nonviolent action. On July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s passing, we’re taking action across the country to defend our democracy and carry forward his legacy of Good Trouble.
From voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to the criminalization of protest, a full-scale attack has been launched on our civil and human rights. But we know the truth: in America, the power lies with the people, and we’re rising to prove it.
This is more than a peaceful protest; it’s a moral reckoning. A continuation of the movement Lewis helped lead, and a new front in the struggle for freedom.
Please join Donna Spars and Liz Harris-Hodge in honoring John Lewis’ legacy. LWV attire encouraged.
If you would like to demonstrate with the League, meet up outside Waukesha Cafe House, 410 Wisconsin Ave. at 3:45, Donna will be carrying the US flag, contact Donna, dspars@lwvmilwaukee.org, if you have questions.
For more information: Good Trouble Demonstration | |
LWVWI, with local leagues, is hosting a 60th Anniversary celebration commemorating the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and we hope you can join us!
This is a powerful community gathering to honor landmark civil rights legislation and mobilize against decades of attacks on voting rights, with a call to restore and protect them through the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Diana Wynn, LWV president, is the keynote speaker.
Register here!
| | | Help Wanted!
We are looking for a part-time Administrative Support Coordinator to help meet the many needs of the League office. Are you organized, able to work independently and have experience working in graphic design, website maintenance and email platforms-- and believe in the League's mission? You may be a great fit!
If you are interested, or know someone who may be a good fit, please review the job description. Any questions? contact Lorna Grade. | |
Google help?
Are you a Google Guru or a Google Genius? Or even just a regular person who knows more about using Google than most of us? If so, we need you! We would like to hold a series of training sessions about Google and all its glorious facets. Many of our members are novices, and need to start from the beginning. Others of us know enough to get by, but would like to become proficient. We will be using Google’s training videos to conduct each session and then have a Q&A discussion guided by you, our Expert. If you are able to help us, please contact Nancy Maloney at n.maloney@lwvmilwaukee.org. | | Here’s why some in Milwaukee say we can’t afford to lose Emily Sterk: | |
So writes David Blake from the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service… and we agree. Gail Sklodowska (VP Advocacy) encourages all to read the full article to see how Emily is changing hearts and minds in Milwaukee as she conducts research, participates in advocacy and develops policy ideas geared toward confronting mass incarceration.
Emily’s Mass Incarceration advocacy program will hold its next monthly meeting via Zoom on August 4th at 4:00 p.m. |  | | Climate Action Update
The Climate Action Group is developing local area groups in Milwaukee County to activate members interested in climate change. Seventeen members attended a N. Shore Meet-& Greet on June 29th and enjoyed sharing stories and their involvement in League programs. Thanks to Molly Collins for hosting the event.
Contact State Legislators
Our Wisconsin Waters need your protection! Advocate for yourself, our natural environment and our planet. Proposed and existing data centers in SE Wisconsin present extraordinarily high demands for energy and for fresh water for cooling. Please phone your State Senator and Representative and let them know you want them to protect our ground and surface waters. https://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate Amazon’s massive data center in Northern Indiana serves as an example of what Wisconsin residents face: paying for studies to establish baseline data of their local groundwater and contaminated &/or dry wells.
Contact County Supervisors
Locally, learn about Milwaukee County’s efforts to address climate change. Virtually attend the July 16, 10-11:30 a.m. meeting of the City County Climate Advisory Board when the County’s Sustainability Director Grant Helle will present the now adopted County Climate Action 2050 Plan. (Links coming in future Update.) Sign up now for your County Supervisor’s email updates to stay current with County efforts to address climate change. Sign up at https://findyourcountysupervisor.com/?utm_source=www.findyourcountysupervisor.com (Use N, S, E, W for your cardinal directions when you enter your address). |  | |
Shannon’s Story
by Gail Sklodowska
The bakery vendor at the Enderis Park Farmer’s Market didn’t approach our LWVMC booth as she was already a member and didn’t feel the need. Her helper did. When her helper told her what we were advocating for - Reproductive Rights - she came right over. She wrote her personal message on a tag, attached it to her fabric ribbon and tied it to the “Garland of Choice”, I teared up.
 
Maternal sepsis almost took her life but the Catholic hospital emergency doctor did the right thing. He performed a D&C and saved her life. She did not share this experience with others. After all, she had an abortion and had killed her baby. Years later, with women across the country dying, and others desperately waiting for proper healthcare, Shannon is speaking out.
Abortion is healthcare.
The majority agrees... “No Political Interference” in a woman’s reproductive choices.
Thank you Shannon for sharing your story.
Story Notes:
Shannon now has two healthy children.
According to the World Health Organization, maternal sepsis refers to sepsis that results “from infection during pregnancy, childbirth, post-abortion, or the postpartum period.” Sepsis, which was often called blood poisoning, is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. Sepsis kills and disables millions, more than breast cancer, lung cancer, and stroke combined.
Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia, influenza, or urinary tract infections. Worldwide, one-third of people who develop sepsis die. Many who do survive are left with life-changing effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain and fatigue, organ dysfunction (organs don’t work properly), and/or amputations.
Maternal and postpartum sepsis are more common in the developing countries, but they also do strike people in wealthier countries, including in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sepsis is the second leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. Between 2014 and 2017 infection or sepsis caused 12.7% of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. Pregnancy-associated sepsis requires early detection, accurate diagnosis, and aggressive treatment. In the United Kingdom, a 2019 study found that sepsis accounted for as many as 25% of all maternal deaths in that country.
Read Wisconsin Watch article: "Catholics run one-third of Wisconsin hospitals, putting many reproductive procedures off-limits"
Contact g.sklodowska@lwvmilwaukee.org to be part of the Reproductive Rights Committee.
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Q: Are drag queens transgender? What is the difference between drag queens and drag kings?
A: No, drag queens are not explicitly transgender. A drag queen is a performer of any gender who presents themselves in an exaggerated feminine manner. Similarly, drag kings are performers who present themselves in an exaggerated masculine manner. Drag performers are artists and entertainers. Many times, drag performers adopt a drag persona when performing, using different names and pronouns when in character.
Source: Understanding Drag | A4TE | |
Important Case for All Public Schools
The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor (June 2025) requires public schools nationwide to inform parents about LGBTQ+ content in their curriculum and provide opt-out options. This decision found that Montgomery County schools in Washington D.C. violated parents' Free Exercise rights by not allowing opt-outs for LGBTQ-themed storybook lessons.
Dissenting justices argued that this ruling could undermine public education by allowing parents to shield their children from diverse ideas. Justice Sotomayor specifically cited concerns about "impossible administrative burdens" this decision could place on schools and courts in determining opt-out eligibility. Analysts suggest this ruling may set a precedent for broader exceptions to lessons covering various sensitive topics, including LGBTQ issues and racial history. Catholics for Choice, who oppose the ruling, expressed concern that "The Supreme Court decided that it is okay for parents to teach their children to discriminate and judge people who are different from them."
EVERY LETTER MATTERS! Contact Kaye Vance at k.vance@lwvmilwaukee.org to join the LGBTQ+ Committee. |  | Spring Fundraising Appeal
Thank you to the LWVMC member donors and non-member donors who responded to our Spring Fundraising Appeal! The Spring Appeal which ended on June 30 raised $5,475 toward the $10,000 goal.
Your support helps fund our operating expenses and our fight against the undemocratic actions by our government. We see the Executive branch abuse its power and watch Congress not exercising its authority to protect the rule of law and defend the Constitution. We cannot back down from the assaults on free speech, voting rights, and immigration.
If you did not donate to the Spring Appeal and want to support our continuing efforts to defend democracy, click here (Donate Today) and make a donation today.
If you cannot make a one-time donation at this time, consider setting up a monthly donation in an amount that will fit with your budget. You can set up a monthly donation for any amount and a minimum of $10 per month. Here is the link to easily set up a monthly donation.
Any questions about setting up a monthly donation? Please contact Mary Voelker.
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Your Choice – Let’s Do Something!
During these times of actions in Washington that are undermining our democracy, do you feel the need to take action? Have you marched, attended rallies, posted on social media, and are looking for more?
Consider hosting a House Party, an in-home gathering to inform our relatives, friends, colleagues, and neighbors about the work we do as members of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County. Invite people you know based on the goal you’d like to set. Educate your friends and neighbors about the League’s mission, programs, advocacy, and volunteer opportunities and secure new LWVMC members and prospective donors. There are LWVMC board members, leaders, and others available to come and talk about LWVMC work. The Fund Development Committee, with Bonnie Jacobson as lead, created this template for hosting a House Party. | |
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Contact Mary Voelker (m.voelker@lwvmilwaukee.org ) or Jane Glodoski (j.glodoski@lwvmilwaukee.org)) who co-hosted a house party this past March for details and advice based on their experience. Nancy Maloney spoke about the mission/history of the League; Jane about high school voting registration; and Mary about VOTE411. There were name tags, League literature, voting buttons, and snacks for the attendees.
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LWVMC Spearheads Commemoration of Voting Rights Act 60th Anniversary
Eloisa Gómez, Comité por el Voto Latino team leader, is coordinating a partnership among local civil rights organizations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) as well as the 50th anniversary of the addition of the Language MInority Provision to the VRA.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a milestone in U.S. civil rights history. The VRA prohibits discriminatory voting practices, such as literacy tests, that had disenfranchised millions of Americans. [Literacy tests and other materials are on our website here]. In 1975, Congress amended the Act to require that ballots and other voting materials be printed in languages in addition to English in order to prevent discrimination against language-minority citizens.
"In uplifting the importance of the vote as a cornerstone of our democracy, we are grateful to be in partnership with 10 other organizations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 50th Anniversary of the Language Minority Provision," Gómez said.
Watch future Updates for upcoming activities. Read more about The VRA and planned activities on our website. |  | Representatives of the 10 local organizations collaborating on the VRA anniversary (Eloisa Gómez, center in pink top). The organizations are: Black Leaders Organizing for Communities • Greater Milwaukee Foundation • Hmong American Women’s Association • Ho Chunk Nation • Interfaith Conference • League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County • Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition • League of United Latin Americans Citizens WI• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Milwaukee Branch 3254 • Souls to the Polls • Voces de la Frontera. | |
“This app is the easiest way to stay on top of League legislative action updates” says Gail Sklodowska, VP Advocacy. “Glad to see LWVWI taking advantage of it.”
Stay in the loop and take action—join the OutreachCircle app for the latest updates from LWVWI on how to protect democracy. You’ll get timely alerts and tools to make your voice heard when it matters most. Join League in Action here!
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LWVMC is developing an Immigration Advocacy Committee. If you are interested in joining our committee or receiving action opportunity alerts, please email Donna Spars at d.spars@lwvmilwaukee.org.
Here is some good information from LWVWI:
Immigration Education and Resources
Immigration is complex, with many different legal statuses that affect people's rights, opportunities, and pathways to citizenship. One of the most effective ways to support and protect immigrant communities is through education. It is important to understand what each status means, who it applies to, and which ones provide a path to permanent residency or citizenship. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin has highlighted some of the most common immigration statuses below to help build that foundation of knowledge. For a more detailed and comprehensive overview, visit our website to learn more.
Understanding Different Immigration Statuses
Resources and Actions to Protect Our Immigrant Communities |  |  | |
Interested in Helping Refugees in Our Community?
Hanan Refugee Resettlement assists refugees with housing arrangements, clothing, and groceries in starting a new life. Their budget has been markedly diminished in the last months.
Volunteers Needed: July 26th 11AM–2PM
Salam Elementary School, 815 W. Layton Ave
Join Hanan Refugee Resettlement Agency for the Refugee & Immigrant Health Fair on Saturday, July 26th in Milwaukee! Hanan assists refugees after their arrival in the US in starting a new life. We’re looking for general volunteers to help with setup, clean-up, registration, babysitting & games, as well as language interpreters (Pashto, Dari, Arabic, Burmese, Rohingya, Spanish, Somali, Swahili, and Urdu)
Email staff@hananrrg.org to volunteer
Questions? Contact Donna Spars at d.spars@lwvmilwaukee.org.
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Accessing Members-Only Resources on the LWVMC Website
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| Support Local Democracy. Support Your League.
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Thank you! LWVMC
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