Happy Groundhog Day. Perhaps the sun is shining in Pennsylvania where the eternal Punxsutawney Phil lives — despite their humongous snow storm — but at least here in Wisconsin there's no sign of a groundhog's shadow. So maybe an early spring?

Now on to the important things! There's a primary election in a mere two weeks — on February 16th. If you have not yet requested an absentee ballot, you should do so immediately. And you should return the ballot via a drop box in your community to avoid any issues with the postal service. You can request an absentee ballot by filling out the forms on myVote.WI.gov or by requesting one directly from your municipality's clerks office. You can find contact information for your municipality on myVote.WI.gov or on our 2021 General Election page, where there are phone numbers for our North Shore and Ozaukee communities and also information about early voting in some of the communities. Early in-person voting begins today and runs through February 12 in many communities. Some city and village halls are, however, closed to the public because of the intensity of viral spread. So it is wise to call ahead and find out what the process for early in-person voting is.

The spring elections are non-partisan and this year there are few races in most communities that will require a primary (meaning there are rarely more than two candidates for a position). Nevertheless, it is vitally important to vote! That's because a key race all over the state is for Superintendent of Instruction. Seven candidates are on the ballot and two of them will go on to the general election on April 6. Candidate's positions, as well as links to their campaign websites and Facebook pages, are provided in great detail on our website. You can also find at least the names of candidates for various municipal, judicial, and school board positions on our 2021 Races page. So be informed and BE A VOTER!

Grassroots North Shore's annual meeting has been scheduled for February 28th at 7pm. You won't want to miss it! We will celebrate our successes in the November 2020 elections while we look ahead to the next great year for our organization. Please save the date and SIGN UP. In addition to some analysis of what we accomplished together, the event will feature the talents of Libra Folk Music's Linda and Poul Sanderson, the musical satire of Roy Anderson, and several other entertainers. It's bound to be a fun and relaxing evening with your North Shore and Ozaukee County compatriots. On Zoom of course.

Finally, here's a reason to use this "quiet period" before the major election in 2022 to make plans and get organized. Today's issue of Urban Milwaukee points out that "Evers Faces Daunting Odds In 2022 because a "Smart Politics analysis of Wisconsin election data finds that Republicans have won a staggering 32 of the last 33 elections for governor when a Democrat resides in the White House dating back to 1855." And the situation in our congressional districts may be equally challenging, depending on how redistricting goes after the 2020 census figures come out. Right now, the state has eight districts, three of which are held by Democrats and five of which are held by Republicans. The voters in this state tend to split their votes pretty evenly between the parties. So the fact that the congressional districts are not represented by four people from each party is due to the way the 2011 district maps were drawn to maximize Republican representation. That is, the congressional districts were gerrymandered, as were the Assembly and state Senate districts. We have an Issue Team working to gain support for Fair Maps and we're part of the Fair Maps Coalition statewide. If you would like to be part of the action on this fundamentally small-d democratic issue, you can sign up for the next meeting, on Monday, February 8, at 6pm. The meeting will be held on Zoom, of course, and once you sign up you will receive the Zoom link to attend.

EVENTS

Tue Feb 2, 2021

Black Lives Matter at School, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Online
The Milwaukee community will have opportunities to listen, learn, andadd their voices to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) narrative in order to bring about positive change. Leading off Black History Month in February, the National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, February 1–5, is designed to engage the community in topics that address four national demands and foster discussions and solutions tocurrent issues. All events will be virtual and are free and open to the public. Registration is required to participate. More information.

Wed Feb 3, 2021

Black Lives Matter at School, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Online
See the listing for Tuesday, February 2.

On the Issues: Supreme Court Journalism, 12:15pm - 12:15pm
Online
Mike Gousha will talk with Professor Cristina Tilley about her study of the print media's coverage of US Supreme Court decisions and a shift toward less emphasis on legal issues and greater emphasis on the justices’ perceived political predilections.The discussion will be on this webpage starting any time after 12:15p.m. on February 3 to view the program.

Suspended: Refuel the Resistance, 6pm - 8pm
Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee
Bounce Milwaukee is closed, including delivery and carryout, until the COVID-19 spread in our area is under control. More information.

Info: Laughing Liberally MKE, 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Online
For information on the latest Laughing Liberally offerings go here.

Thu Feb 4, 2021

Black Lives Matter at School, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Online
See the listing for Tuesday, February 2.

Postponed: DPMC Issues Committee Meeting, 4:30pm - 4:30pm
Amalgamated Transit Union, 734 N. 26th St., Milwaukee
The Democratic Party's Issues Committee holds its meeting on the first Thursday of each month. All Democrats are welcome to participate.

From John Brown to Jim Crow, 7pm - 7pm
Zoom
Attorney Brady Henderson, Cream City Law, LLC, will give the second of eight presentations on the history and societal impact of race in America. Sponsored by the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay. Registration.

Fri Feb 5, 2021

Black Lives Matter at School, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Online
See the listing for Tuesday, February 2.

Sat Feb 6, 2021

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
Port Washington Avenue & Silver Spring Drive, Milwaukee
Stand for Peace is resuming in-person events with masks and social distancing. Check for more information. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Mon Feb 8, 2021

Grass Roots South Shore Meeting, 6pm - 8pm
Cudahy Library, 3500 Library Dr. , Cudahy
Grass Roots South Shore holds its monthly meeting on the second Monday of each month. For more information call Jim Balk, 414-218-5944.

Tue Feb 9, 2021

Drinking Liberally Grafton/Mequon, 6:30pm - 8pm
Zoom
Brittany Vulich and Dan Stern are psyched to kick off the next season of Drinking Liberally Grafton. Ask An Atheist Tuesday, with Dan Barker, co-president of The Freedom From Religion Foundation. In addition to his work at FFRF, Dan is co-host of "Freethought Radio", co-founder of "The Clergy Project" and author of several books. You can learn more about The Freedom From Religion Foundation here. Join the Zoom.

Virtual Drinking Liberally MKE, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Zoom
Drinking Liberally MKE will get together on Zoom. More information.

350 Milwaukee Virtual Meeting, 7pm - 8:30pm
Online
350 Milwaukee is part of the global organization building a grassroots movement in 188 countries to address global warming and solve the climate crisis. 350 Milwaukee usually meets every month on the second Tuesday. Check the link for information on whether a meeting will occur.

Wed Feb 10, 2021

Virtual: Community Justice Council, 9:30am - 11am
Online
Milwaukee Community Justice Council Meeting of the Whole will have an Online/Virtual meeting. More information.

WJI Virtual Salon with Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Jill Karofsky, 12pm - 1pm
Virtual
Karofsky was elected to the court in April. Before that, she was a Dane County circuit judge. She also has served as the executive director of the Office of Crime Victim Services for the state Department of Justice and worked as an assistant state attorney general. There is lots to talk about. Her first not-even-a-year on the state's highest court has brought some high-profile cases, including ones involving campaigns and coronavirus. The event is free. The February Salon is sponsored by attorney and WJI Board member Tim Burns. Thank you, Tim! Register.

Grass Roots South Shore Virtual Meeting, 6pm - 8pm
TBA
Check the following page to see if Grass Roots South Shore will have a virtual meeting. More information.

Suspended: Refuel the Resistance, 6pm - 8pm
Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee
Bounce Milwaukee is closed, including delivery and carryout, until the COVID-19 spread in our area is under control. More information.

Thu Feb 11, 2021

Drinking Liberally West Allis, 6:30pm - 9pm
TBA
For information on whether the event will take place, check here.

Employment Barriers and Diversity, 7pm - 7pm
Zoom
Maria E. Flores, Outreach and Education Manager, EEOC, will give the third of eight presentations on the history and societal impact of race in America: "Employment Barriers Faced by Diverse Communities." Sponsored by the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay. Registration.

MICAH's Black History Month event - Building a Healthy Community, 7pm - 8:30pm
Virtual
Rabbi Rachel is the current Secretary for MICAH, and Cantor Perper will be part of the program. Please support Congregation Shalom's efforts as part of MICAH. Register.

Sat Feb 13, 2021

UN Association of MKE, 10am - 12pm
TBA
This meeting seems to be suspended for the time being. More information.

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
Martin Luther King Drive & North Avenue, Milwaukee
Stand for Peace is resuming in-person events with masks and social distancing. Check for more information. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Mon Feb 15, 2021

Fair Maps WI Coalition, 5:30pm - 7pm
Online
Fair Maps WI Coalition (FMC) convenes a panel to talk about Fair Maps in the 6th CD. Sign up link to follow.

Milwaukee Dems Virtual Meeting, 6pm - 8pm
Zoom
Milwaukee County Democrats meet monthly to discuss party business, hear speakers on current topics, pass resolutions, and network with other progressives. All interested Democrats are invited. Information about how to access the meeting will be sent after registration. RSVP for Zoom meeting.