Annual Meeting Registration Open 'Til May 28 |
Social time begins at 11:15am with a cash bar and silent auction, Lunch and Speaker is at 12:00pm, and the Business Meeting starts at 1:00pm.
**Cost is $25 for members and non-members. **
Important votes at the annual meeting this year:
The business portion of the annual meeting will include these important votes:
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Adoption of the FY 2026-2027 budget
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Adoption of the slate of nominees for office & the 2026-2027 Nominating Committee
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Adoption of program priorities
This in-person gathering is a great chance to mingle with League friends and meet new ones! Non-members and guests are welcome to attend, but only members may vote.
Like to greet people? Like to take photos? Like to tidy up?
|  | The Third Annual Silent Auction will be held during the Annual Meeting on the afternoon of Saturday, June 6 and we are in need of your generous donations to help us reach our fundraising goal.
Popular items include gift certificates to restaurants or for services like massages, mani-pedis, yoga and exercise classes, as well as tickets to sporting or entertainment events. Other services could be using your special talent to make someone a meal, quilt or knit a throw blanket, provide a photography session.
Gift baskets are also popular and can be a joint effort for you and your friends to make. Ideas include baskets of books, liquor or wine, gardening, cooking, or your own creative theme.
Also, you may know of a business or organization that would have something to donate. Ideas include restaurant, salon, or shop gift cards, theater or sports tickets, etc. If so, consider forwarding this letter requesting their support of the League’s work in the community.
Please use the Donor Form 2026 (also included in the above letter) to provide the details of your donation and to select a drop-off site. If you have any questions, please email Lorna Grade at l.grade@lwvmilwaukee.org. |  | Municipal Clerks and Election Officials Appreciation
We thank the municipal clerks and election officials who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our elections are secure, accessible, and fair. Their dedication to accuracy, transparency, and service is foundational to our democracy — and to the work we do as League members.
Whether they’re processing voter registrations, managing polling places, or answering late-night questions, clerks are trusted stewards of the democratic process in every Wisconsin community.
Let’s show our gratitude! Reach out to your local clerk with a thank-you note, social media shout-out or kind word. Together we can lift up the public servants who make our elections possible.
You can find your clerk’s contact information here.
To make recognizing your clerk easy, here's a sample message you can send. |  |
LOCAL ACTION OPPORTUNITIES
COMING ACTION - Support Milwaukee County Climate and Sustainability Efforts May 18, 2026, 9:30a.m. Room 201 B, Milwaukee County Courthouse, 901 N 9th St. The Milwaukee County Committee on Community, Environment and Economic Development (CEED) will take up “a Resolution requesting annual reporting from We Energies to support Milwaukee County’s climate, infrastructure, and energy planning.” Pending passage of the resolution, the entire County Board will consider the resolution on May 28.
GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY, CANDIDATE FORUM - Part 2
Get your climate question answered. Register here for the Zoom link and share with your networks. 6:30-8pm, Monday, May 19. Zoom with four of eight candidates vying for your vote in the August 11 gubernatorial primary race. The planet and all life on Earth will thank you!
SAVE THE DATE -Jun 20, 2026, Noon-2pm. LWVMC Climate Action Group Planning for League year, July 26-June 27 at the Washington Park Urban Ecology Center following the Anniversary celebration of the passage of the City of Milwaukee Climate and Economic Equity Plan, 9:30 breakfast-noon.
ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY
Milwaukee County Board affirms climate commitments despite federal roll backs - read more here (April 1, 2026).
Nov. 22, 2025 program - Find Video & Slides of this informative event here. Spread word of local efforts to others.
REPORTS
- Bill McKibben on Trump’s Climate Rollbacks: “This Is Economic Self-Sabotage” - A sober 18 minute MUST WATCH that illuminates an array of negative effects due to the climate rollbacks.
- How much of your monthly power bill goes directly toward corporate profits? Check this easy-to-use electric bill calculator for an estimate!
- Tracking and mapping tool for data centers that includes money, legislative, lobbyist, projects, and cancelled projects. poweredbywho.com/states/WI
|  | Celebrate Pride Month with the League of Women Voters!
June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, honor the history of the movement for equality, and recommit ourselves to the ongoing fight for civil rights, inclusion, and democracy for all. Pride began as a protest following the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, where LGBTQ+ individuals stood up against discrimination and police harassment. Today, Pride celebrations across the country continue to recognize both the progress that has been made and the work that still lies ahead to ensure equality and representation for everyone.
Milwaukee has a long and vibrant Pride tradition. Milwaukee PrideFest, one of the nation’s longest-running LGBTQ+ festivals, began in 1987 and has grown into a major annual celebration of community, visibility, advocacy, and joy. Held at the Summerfest Grounds, PrideFest brings together thousands of attendees each year for music, entertainment, education, and connection.
This year, the LGBTQ+ Committee of the League of Women Voters Milwaukee County invites you to join us in celebrating Pride while supporting voter education and civic engagement throughout our community!
Volunteer with Us at PrideFest — June 4–6
The League of Women Voters Milwaukee County will have a booth at PrideFest from June 4–6 at the Summerfest Grounds. We’re looking for volunteers to help staff the booth, engage with festival attendees, promote voter education, and share information about the League’s mission and work.
Sign-up to volunteer here:
Volunteer Sign Up
March with Us in the Pride Parade!
We’re also excited to participate in the Milwaukee Pride Parade, and we want YOU to join us!
Anyone is welcome to march alongside the League of Women Voters Milwaukee County as we celebrate inclusion, civic participation, and equality for all.
Parade Details:
Sunday, June 7
Parade begins at 2:00 PM | Meet-up time: 1:00 PM
Meet-up location: 2nd Street and Scott Street in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood
Bring your energy, your pride, and your commitment to democracy as we walk together in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
A parade sign-up form will be linked here: Parade Signup
We hope you’ll join us for one or both of these exciting events! Pride is a celebration, but it’s also a reminder that democracy works best when every voice is heard, every person is respected, and every community is empowered to participate. | 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! |  | Shadow a presentation as training to be a speaker
The Speakers Bureau is doing a presentation on May 14 that offers an opportunity to shadow the speaker as training to do the presentation yourself as a member of the LWVMC Speakers Bureau!! The presentation is on May 21 from 1:00 PM until 2:30 PM. The content of the presentation is all about voting. It will begin by engaging the participants in a discussion about why voting is important. Then the presentation will cover the voter registration process and the voting process.
We will provide materials on the League, about the importance of voting, and the voting process.
If you are interested, please contact Heather Godley at SpeakersBureau@lwvmilwaukee.org
We may also have League members at the event to help register voters. If you are trained to help citizens register to vote, check the Volunteer Opportunity on the League’s website. |  |  | 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 |  |  | | Take Action
Congress is preparing to vote now on a hyper-partisan reconciliation bill that includes $70 billion in new funds for ICE and Border Patrol.
Thanks to the action of over 480,000 ACLU supporters, Congress refused to give new money to the Department of Homeland Security for over 70 days. We've even heard from members of Congress who said this outreach was a deciding factor in their decision not to fund ICE and Border Patrol.
That's why your action today is so critical to protect our communities. ICE and Border Patrol's unchecked abuses of power aren't just reckless – they're deadly. At least 18 people have died in ICE custody this year. People have been shot in the streets, separated from their children, and detained and deported en masse without any regard for their rights or dignity.
Urge your members of Congress to block any no-strings-attached money to ICE and Border Patrol.
TAKE ACTION |  | | League Café, the LWVMC book and discussion group, will meet at the East Side Library, 2320 N. Cramer St. on Friday, May 22 at 10:00 a.m.
There is parking behind the library through the archway. We alternate between “general discussion” and a specific book.
This month (May) we will be having a general discussion. There are plenty of current topics with all that is going on in the world and at home. We like to hear from everyone present and there is no lack of lively conversation.
Next month is book discussion on June 26. The book is “The Common Good” by Robert Reich; the library location is reserved. |  |
Invest in Democracy
Invest in democracy by becoming a monthly donor to the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County. Here are five reasons for making a monthly recurring donation.
- It is convenient and helps your budget. You set up an automated payment that spreads your contribution throughout the year.
- You make a long-term commitment to defending democracy. This is especially important with the current threats against democracy. Taking democracy back will take time and sustained effort.
- Our democracy is on the line, and we are in a constitutional crisis. You feel strongly about defending democracy and want to feel that you are doing as much as you can.
- As a monthly donor, you are part of a special group giving consistent support. Whether you can donate $20 a month or $200 a month, you are connected to the League’s mission and its ongoing progress.
- By making a monthly donation, you join a network of like-minded League members and non-members who believe in the work of the League and are connected to a shared purpose.
Click HERE to learn more.
|  | Watch your mail for the Spring Appeal, but feel free to go ahead and donate here:
| So Many Ways to Support Local Democracy and Your League. Thank You! | 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! | 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. | |