| LWVMC 2026 Annual Meeting
More than 90 members and friends of LWVMC attended the annual meeting on June 6 for socializing, pursuing the silent auction items, voting on League business, and enjoying an informative presentation by attorney TJ Edwards from Law Forward. | June 22th 1:00pm Walk & Talk with Jen Lemke: Meet at Firefly Grove Park in Wauwatosa, home of “Mama Rosa”, for a free outdoor opportunity to meet neighbors and League members to decompress, breathe deeply, practice self-care, and get to know each other while honoring the summer solstice. |  |  | Candidate Letters of invitation to Participate in VOTE411 Sent to Fall Election Candidates
Do you know who your candidates are for the Fall Election? Reach out to them now and ask if they have received the League’s email letter of invitation to participate in the VOTE411 online voter guide. Suggest they check their SPAM folder. If they did not receive the letter of invitation, ask them to contact Sue Leister at voterguide@lwvmilwaukee.org and she will resend the letter.
Here is information you can tell them about the VOTE411 online voter guide.
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The League of Women Voters is strictly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government.
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Launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) in October of 2006, VOTE411.org is a "one-stop-shop" for election related information.
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It provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on the election process.
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The League asks candidates questions that are of interest to their constituents. Candidate answers are printed verbatim. We do not edit their responses. A message that "the candidate has not yet responded" is posted when they do not respond. The online voter guide will be published on June 24 with candidates for the August 11 primary election.
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Volunteers Needed: Voter Education June 20
Volunteers are needed to do voter education/registration at the Lush Cosmetics store in Mayfair Mall, Wauwatosa, June 20, from noon to 4 p.m. Register here. |  |  |  |  | |
ReproWarriors Launches “Garland of Choice” — Volunteers Needed
ReproWarriors launched their community outreach for the summer at the Locust Street Festival, collecting 225 constituent “ribbon voices” and 52 email addresses of interested community members in our work.
The Garland of Choice is a joyous, family-friendly, art-installation collecting brief messages from Wisconsin residents. Festival visitors write reflections, hopes, or statements about reproductive healthcare and bodily autonomy. Thousands of these messages will be assembled into a public garland that visually represents community sentiment and will be displayed at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
This project advances the League’s vision of equitable access to contraception, infertility care, and abortion healthcare – without government intervention - while creating welcoming conversations and an archival record to share with policymakers.
We Need Your Help
The success of this project depends on League volunteers. We currently have more outreach opportunities than volunteers to staff them.
Volunteering is easy and flexible. Most shifts are only 3–4 hours, and there are a variety of dates, times, and locations available throughout the summer. Whether you can help once or several times, your participation will make a difference.
No special expertise is required—just a willingness to engage with community members and help them add their voices to the Garland of Choice. Non-members are welcome to participate.
If you care about reproductive freedom and want to help bring this important conversation into our communities, please consider volunteering. Together, we can amplify constituent voices, strengthen community engagement, and create change.
Join us in creating a powerful message for change! Contact Colleen Golomski @ colleengolomski@gmail.com to be added to our signup list.
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LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION
City of Milwaukee: June 15, 3p.m., Room 301-B City Hall - The City’s Zoning Code Technical Committee will consider an ordinance related to the building of data centers larger than 60,000 sq. ft.. City of Milwaukee residents testify in their own name on this issue. See article in May 20 Milw. Journal Sentinel here.
LOCAL CLIMATE NEWS
On May 28, the Milwaukee County Board passed a resolution expressing “concern about We Energies proposed [14%] rate increase and the underlying regulatory framework of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.” Your LWVMC Climate Action Group advocated for the measure, Amended File 26-419, on your behalf.
SAVE THE DATES
JUNE 20, 9-noon Celebrate Climate Action! Join the 3rd Anniversary Celebration of the Milwaukee City/County Climate & Economic Equity Plan
Place: Urban Ecology Center Washington Park
Time: 9 - 9:30 breakfast;
9:30 - 10:30 Directors of City and Milwaukee County Sustainability will update us on the City and County Climate Plans and answer any questions
10:30 - noon Displays and Demonstrations including giveaways: *Free flowering native plants * Forestry demonstrations * Home weatherizations rebates * Bike helmet fitting & instructions *art activities.
JULY 18, 10-noon, In-person, Climate Action Group Steering Committee - Planning for 2026-2927 year. Place TBD.
JULY 29, 5:30-8:30, Turner Hall, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Data Center Town Hall with Gubernatorial Candidates on data centers. A snapshot of how they view state vs. local control, business growth, utility costs, environmental protections, the use of government tax incentives and more. Register here.
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.
|  | LGBTQ+ = PRIDE !
LWV Milwaukee Brings Energy and Visibility to PrideFest
LWV Milwaukee had a lively and colorful presence at Milwaukee PrideFest this year. Throughout the weekend, volunteers welcomed throngs of visitors to the League's booth, providing voter information, answering questions about the League, and engaging attendees in conversations about civic participation.
We also connected with many of the organizations participating in PrideFest and look forward to building new partnerships in the future. Particularly popular were our issue straw poll, conducted with rainbow beads, which invited visitors to identify the issues most important to them, and our LWV-themed selfie station, where attendees shared why they vote using a League of Women Voters frame and speech bubble. The top issue was Health Care, with Youth Support and Mental Health close behind.
Milwaukee's PrideFest traces its roots to the late 1980s and has grown into one of the nation's largest LGBTQ+ festivals, celebrating inclusion, equality, and community while attracting thousands of attendees each year.
The weekend concluded with League members and supporters proudly marching in the Milwaukee Pride Parade behind the League of Women Voters banner alongside Planned Parenthood. It was a joyful and fitting end to a successful PrideFest weekend and a visible reminder of the League's commitment to civic engagement and participation in our democracy. | 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! | |
Save the Date: Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 9:00 AM till 12:00 Noon at Summit Place
Do you interact with community members at tabling events? Do you belong to the Speakers Bureau and speak with groups? Save the date for this free LWVMC training conducted by Dr. Philip Chard to build your skills interacting with community members at voter services and advocacy events and/or when speaking to a group. Click here for more information. | 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 | Bridge Demonstration
Saturday, June 13, 10:00-2:00 (Signup for 1 hour or more time slots)
I 94 & Barker Road
Town of Brookfield
We are expecting high traffic flow - more that 12,000 views in 4 hours.
The event depends heavily on the number of sign ups. Please invite your friends to join you.
The registration form will give you an opportunity to vote for our next theme. | No More Corruption Protest
Sunday, June 14 from 1:30 - 3:00
321 Wisconsin Ave. (sidewalk in front of Cutler Park / Library) Waukesha | |
Yell and Stomp at the Lakefront!
Shorewood Resists Event
Sunday, June 14, 11am-Noon
North Lincoln Memorial Drive & East Lafayette Hill Rd.
Flag Day visibility event. Speak up for our First Amendment rights. Line Lincoln Memorial Drive with protest signs, banners, and flags. Bring a sign or use one of ours.
Plenty of free parking at McKinley Marina. |  |  | |
It's Not Too Late!
Have you supported the League this fiscal year with a financial donation? Do you feel your contribution matches the work the League is doing to empower voters and defend democracy in these turbulent times?
It’s not too late to donate before the League’s fiscal year ends on June 30. Your support helps register voters, campaign to maintain voting rights, participate in the fight against undemocratic actions by our government, and advocate for the causes we care about.
- A cash donation with a check made out to LWVMC. Send this to the:
League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County
6737 West Washington Avenue Suite 2218
West Allis, Wisconsin 53214
- An online donation at the League's website. Click here and choose a payment method- either credit card or ACH direct debit.
- A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA.
- A gift from your Donor Advised Fund (DAF).
- A Monthly Donation which can be as low as $10 per month. Join our monthly giving program to support our mission with an amount that fits your budget. Click here.
- Leave the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County a bequest from your estate or name LWVMC as a beneficiary in your will.
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A Conversation & Community Meal With Milwaukee's Mayor
Saturday, June 27
12:30pm - 2:30pm
Mitchell Street Library - Cargill Community Kitchen, Community Room
906 W Historic Mitchell Street
Register Here
You are invited to join in a community meal and interview with Milwaukee’s mayor on the past, present and future of engaged democracy in our city. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson will talk about the ways this moment in history has shaped our country and city, the personal meaning this moment holds for each of us, and the ways in which we can apply America’s founding ideal of engaged democracy locally today. |  | | The State Democracy Research Initiative and the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison invite you to join them for an Election Matters 2026 Panel, "Year in Review: Democracy Litigation in SCOTUS and the States,” sponsored by Stafford Rosenbaum LLP. This panel will take place on Wednesday, July 8, from 3:00-4:15 pm Central Time, with a reception to follow. This event will take place in the Community Room at the Madison Central Library (201 W Mifflin St), with the option to attend virtually. The panel will serve as a case law year in review, highlighting significant democracy-related decisions at both the state and federal levels. Panelists will include Special Counsel Amit Agarwal of Protect Democracy, Chief Counsel Christina Bull Arndt of the California Department of Justice, Attorney Julie Murray of the ACLU State Supreme Court Initiative, and former U.S. Solicitor General Don Verrilli, with SDRI faculty co-director Rob Yablon moderating. Register Here. | 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! | So Many Ways to Support Local Democracy and Your League. 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. | |