Invite Your Friends to May 9th Member Gathering!

Why did you join the League? What activities do you most enjoy? Which volunteer opportunities do you find most rewarding? Share your enthusiasm for the LWV with your friends and family and invite them to learn more about everything we do. Come to the Member Engagement Gathering on May 9th, 2-4 pm at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library, 2901 N. MLK Drive. This is a great chance to meet new friends who share a passion for democracy!

Why all the fuss about Mifepristone?  It’s safe, effective and expands access

By Charlie Gaebler-Uhing, Repro Rights Committee Co-Chair

Since Friday, you likely have seen lots of headlines regarding Mifepristone.  On Friday May 1, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals placed a national injunction on telehealth prescribing of mifepristone.  This injunction was followed by an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court by the manufacturers over the weekend, Justice Alito placed a stay on the injunction and set a hearing May 11, 2026. 

Why is Louisiana targeting Mifepristone? It is one of the two medications used for medication abortions and miscarriage management.  It has been used in the US since 2000.  On initial release, the FDA restricted prescribers and prescribing practices so they could collect extensive data on its risks and benefits. Over the years as it became apparent it was safe, with less than 1% serious side effects, they expanded who could prescribe the medication as well as where it could be prescribed.  In 2023 the FDA allowed prescribing to be expanded to telehealth.  

States with abortion bans have cried foul, since women living in these states can receive safe abortion care via interstate telehealth and mail order abortion medication without leaving their state.  The problem with a national injunction on telehealth visits, states where abortion is legal and made accessible, telehealth prescribing is used to eliminate barriers to abortion care.  Women living in rural areas benefit extensively from these visits.

DOJ Investigation Raises Concerns for LGBTQ+ Student Protections 

A new U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Illinois school districts is raising alarm among advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusive education. The inquiry targets dozens of districts and is focused on how schools address gender identity in policies and classroom settings, including whether parents are notified about related instruction and allowed to opt their children out. It also examines policies governing student access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams consistent with their gender identity. While presented as a review of compliance and parental rights, this action reflects a broader wave of efforts nationwide that risk undermining protections for LGBTQ+ students.

For many young people, inclusive policies around curriculum, facilities, and participation in school activities are not political, they are essential to feeling safe, respected, and able to learn. Investigations like this can create a chilling effect, pressuring schools to roll back inclusive practices and leaving vulnerable students at greater risk of discrimination and harm. At a time when LGBTQ+ youth already face higher rates of bullying and mental health challenges, policies should be moving toward greater support, not increased scrutiny.

Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ students experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and harassment, especially in environments where their identities are questioned or unsupported. When inclusive policies are weakened or publicly challenged, it can send a harmful message that these students’ rights and experiences are up for debate, further isolating them. Ensuring affirming, inclusive school environments is not just about policy, it is a matter of student safety, well-being, and equal opportunity to thrive.

A Very Special Delivery

LWVMC Unite and Rise team members Donna Spars, Carol Utsunomiya-Wolcott, and Jean Radtke, delivered well over 1,000 postcards completed by No Kings participants to the Common Council thanking them for introducing resolutions on ICE Out Milwaukee. Postcard were delivered to Mayor Cavalier Johnson urging him to support the resolutions, and to Senator Ron Johnson’s office urging him to protect the Constitution - including the right to protest peacefully and the right to due process, which encompasses immigrants and states in administration of elections.

Announcing a Win for Food Justice! 

The LWVMC Medicaid/FoodShare Task Force has been alerting Weekly Update readers to the food apartheid problem in the City of Milwaukee. A coalition of organizations and individuals called the Food Justice Collective is a major grassroots force in developing solutions. The FJC recently announced recent successes, especially with the City. Read about the FJC and these successes here, support the FJC,  and do whatever else you can to ensure everyone has access to food. Food apartheid is, among other things, a form of public health crisis. 

The Count is In!

VOTE411 was used in Milwaukee and Waukesha County over 14,000 times leading up to the Spring nonpartisan election in 2026.   This is the second highest usage number leading up to a Spring Election since LWVMC started using VOTE411 in 2019.   

Thank you to all voters who used the online guide to educate themselves on the views of the candidates running for office.   Thank you to all LWVMC members who talked up the guide with friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues!   And to those who posted a flyer in your apartment building, your local coffee shop, or small business(es) close to where you live and/or shop. 

 VOTE411 is a great tool for voter education, and we have a lot more voters who could use it to find out about the candidates running for office and their positions on issues.    Please let us know if you have some ideas about increasing the usage of the VOTE411 online voter guide.  Contact Mary Voelker or Anita Gulotta-Connelly at voterguideteam@lwvmilwaukee.org

United Nations Schools of International Learning (UNSIL) World Fair

Thursday May 14th, 2026

Baird Center – 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee

(Free parking here)

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

• Full Event: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
• Learning Partners: 9:15am - 11:30am
• Project Presentations: 9:30am - 11:15 am
• Program: 11:30am - 12:30 am

The public is invited to interact and learn with MPS 4th-8th grade students as they present on nearly 1,500 research projects about the member countries, cultures, and goals of the United Nations (U.N.).

UNSIL helps Milwaukee’s young people learn about the world and all it has to offer, starting with the shared responsibilities, opportunities, and leadership that the U.N. offers. The U.N. Schools of International Learning (UNSIL) program has been implemented in grades 4-8 at MPS’ most diverse schools since 2016. In the program, students learn about the U.N. and its member countries throughout the world. They think critically about real-world problems, research solutions, and work together to develop a global perspective.

The UNSIL program at MPS is presented in partnership with the Annette J. Roberts & Joan R. Roberson Fund for World Peace, World Law, and Peace Education at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Co-sponsors: Milwaukee Public Schools(MPS); The Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation; and The United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee.

More information here.