February Lunch & Learn

Feb. 14th is the 100th Birthday of the League of Women Voters.

We hope you can join us to celebrate at Lunch & Learn on 2/11/20.

Come in period dress if you'd like,

and enjoy cupcakes from The Meringue Bakery for dessert.

February Lunch & Learn

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Lunch at 11:30, Program at 11:45

The Waterfront

The Banquet Room

(entrance from the north parking lot)

The History of Women's Suffrage in Wisconsin

Theresa Kaminski

Emeritus Professor of History

This illustrated presentation traces the fight for women's voting rights in Wisconsin from statehood to the founding of the League of Women Voters in 1920. It highlights Wisconsin women Ada James, Olympia Brown, and Theodora Youmans, with cameo appearances by movement stalwarts Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

RSVP to reserve a lunch by 2/4 (cost $15).

Please remember that this year we are not accepting payment at the door on the day of the Lunch & Learn programs. We cannot receive reservations for lunch after the RSVP deadline. You will receive an email from LWVLA acknowledging receipt of your reservation. Unfortunately, prepaid lunches are nonrefundable.

Thanks!

You may respond and pay for your lunch via PayPal

here

by mailing a check for $15 to

LWV La Crosse Area

PO Box 363

La Crosse, WI 54602-0363

Please include special dietary considerations with your rsvp.

Election Season Is About to Begin!

Spring Primary Election: February 18

Local voters will be narrowing the number of candidates for the WI Supreme Court from 3 to 2, and City of Onalaska voters will narrow the number of candidates for mayor from 3 to 2.

Please display your "Everyone Vote" signs from February 3-18.

Our Voter Services Committee is asking that you put out your sign (if winter allows) on Monday, February 3, the start of early voting for many municipalities. If you need signs or laminated add-ons with each of the 2020 election dates to attach to your sign, contact Chris Haskell at [email protected].

Vote 411 Invitations Sent to Local Candidates

Members of the VOTE411 committee have sent Invitations for participation in the LWV voter guide to candidates for the February Spring Primary!

Please encourage any candidates you know to take advantage of this opportunity to share their message with the over 40,000 Wisconsin voters that get their candidate information from our guide on VOTE411.org.

Speaking of Democracy

Join the Conversation at LWV Book Club

Thursday, February 6, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Java Vino, 1505 Losey Blvd. S

ALL ARE WELCOME!

The room rental cost is $15 to be divided among participants.

At most only a couple of dollars per time--what a bargain!

Birth of a White Nation: The Invention of White People and Its Relevance Today

by Jacqueline Battalora

"...an exploration of a moment in time when 'white people,' as a separate and distinct group of humanity, were invented through legislation and the enactment of laws."

Source: Amazon.

2019-20 Climate Crisis Series from

LWV of Dane County

Forum #3:

The Promise of Ag Stewardship

WHEN: Sunday, February 16, 2020, 1-3 PM

WHERE: TBA

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME!

The public is invited to join us for the third in our series of forums live streamed from Dane County on the climate crisis. A panel of local farmers will come together to share their experiences of managing crops, livestock and land while juggling government policies, incentives and farmland development pressures, amidst the ever-changing weather conditions climate change precipitates.

SPEAKERS:

George Crave, Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese
Dick Cates, Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers
Kristen Kordet, Blue Moon Community Farm
Ralph Petersen, former NASA and NOAA scientist

For more information, visit here.

Listening Across the Political Divide

Join Us for Two Local Workshops on Civil Discourse

--facilitated by the nationally known, nonpartisan organization, Better Angels

As political differences are polarizing our communities, the LWVLA, Great Rivers United Way, English Lutheran Church, LeaderEthics Wisconsin, UWL Political Science & Policy Administration, Joe Heim, and Western Technical College are sponsoring an opportunity to learn how to speak civilly with each other. We may never change another person's mind, but we can understand where they are coming from, and we can remain friends. These skills are critical to communities the size of La Crosse and Onalaska.

You may attend both workshops. The 2/23 workshop is not a prerequisite for the 3/10 workshop. Both are free, thanks to the local sponsors, but please register for each that you will attend.


Depolarizing Within Sunday, February 23 2:30 to 5:30 PM English Lutheran Church 1509 King St. Much of today's polarization is driven by how we talk with like-minded people about those on the other side. Too often, we stereotype, dismiss, or ridicule fellow citizens who support the other political party, its leaders, and its policies. Register here.	Skills Training T uesday, March 10 2:30 to 5:00 PM Western Technical College Lunda Center, 319 7th St. N. At this workshop, you will: learn what it takes to have constructive, non-polarizing conversations; get a chance to practice these conversations; and be motivated to have these conversations with people in your social network. Register here .

State Appeals Court Blocks Voter Roll Purge

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - "A Wisconsin appeals court on Tuesday put on hold an order to immediately remove up to 209,000 names from the state's voter registration rolls.... A judge last month sided with conservatives and ordered the removal of the voters. When the bipartisan elections commission deadlocked on proceeding with the purge, the judge on January 13 found it and its three Democratic commissioners in contempt, and again ordered the voters' names removed. Hours later, a divided Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to take the case. That shifted the fight back to the appeals court, which sided with the elections commission on Tuesday and put the judge's original ruling on hold.... A three-judge panel in the 4th District of the appeals court - Michael Fitzpatrick, JoAnne Kloppenburg and Jennifer Nashold - issued the ruling. They said they would have a follow-up order later that explains their reasoning, but that they wanted to act quickly given the contempt order and the commission's meeting." (AP link here .)

A timeline showing the chronology of legal actions affecting the voter roll purge is available here on our website. We will continue to follow ensuing legal developments.

The League advises all Wisconsin voters to check their registration status at myvote.wi.gov.