It's really beginning to look like summer. And the pandemic in this country — though not in the rest of the world — is subsiding. Those of us who are fully vaccinated can resume many activities that we have avoided for more than a year now. Mask-wearing is now optional, although local public health mandates should continue to be observed. Still, the end is in sight, for which we are all no doubt grateful.

In light of that good news, in fact, my husband and I are going to visit family in Baltimore and to see our grandson for the first time in 18 months — a very long time in the life of a 4 year old and even longer in the life of his grandparents! As a result, I'm taking a two-week hiatus from the newsletter. I've included three weeks of events in this one (rather than the two week list I usually include) to tide you over. But if you need more updated information, you can always check the calendars of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County and the Southeast Wisconsin calendar. They're both on our website.

Grassroots North Shore's work continues, though. The Gun Violence Prevention team has several action items for you to take:

1. Please call or email Senator Darling to support AB193/SB200 which creates grants to local government for 1) training staff at a firearm retailer or firearm range on how to recognize a person that may be considering suicide; 2) providing suicide prevention materials for distribution at a firearm retailer or firearm range; or 3) providing voluntary, temporary firearm storage. She is on the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, which will vote on this bill soon. 
   
   
2. Please save the date for Wear Orange Weekend on June 4-6, 2021. Wear Orange Day (June 4) is National Gun Violence Prevention Awareness Day. Plan your orange outfit now and stay tuned for more ways to get involved in the weekend's activities. 
   
   
3. The GOP leadership has stripped all gun violence prevention provisions out of the state budget. These policies will be introduced as a package of bills in early June. More info will be shared as details are confirmed.

Our new Writers Club wants you to write. Write letters to the editor. Write to your assembly person in Madison. Write to your senators in Madison. Write to your representatives in Washington, DC. Write to your senators in Washington, DC. Write, right? And join the group!

Our upcoming event, Green Is Good — on Sunday, June 13, at 7pm — is already attracting a lot of attention. You still have plenty of time to sign up. But 54 people already have. Don't miss your chance to hear from Kevin Kane (Green Homeowners Association), Mayor Bryan Kennedy (Glendale), Mandela Barnes (Lt. Governor) and Lisa Geason-Bauer (Evolution Marketing on Green Benefits to Business and the Economy). People often turn away from climate change discussion because they feel powerless to change the situation. Aside from electing politicians who care, “what can we do?” is the common response. This forum will help us answer that question, not from a national perspective or political stage, but from where we live — our homes and communities. The panelists will discuss what individual homeowners can do to make their own lives greener. Because doing nothing is not an option. Please join us You can read more about it on our home page.

And in news items that probably won't be covered in the mainstream media — and certainly not by the increasingly slender Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — here is some information you might find useful, or at least interesting:

• Although at least 18 of their members have been indicted for their role in the January 6 insurrection, the Proud Boys appear undaunted. David Neiwert at Daily Kos notes that "Prosecutors in [Ethan] Nordean’s case filed a document last Thursday that gave details of some of the Proud Boys’ messages after Jan. 6. It makes for chilling reading since it makes abundantly clear that the violent far-right extremists who make up their membership rolls are not going to slow down anytime soon, instead planning to ratchet up the violence in the coming months and years." The rest of the piece is downright chilling.
  
  
• As published in The Hill and excerpted in Rick Hasen's Election Law Blog, Republicans see 2021 as a prime opportunity for partisan gerrymandering to guarantee they'll win back control of the House in 2022. See the excerpt or read the full article.
  
  
• The Atlanta Journal Constitution discusses a lawsuit that seeks to stop local election takeovers in Georgia voting law. This article is also excerpted in Hasen's Election Law Blog: "An election integrity organization sued over Georgia’s voting law Monday, challenging provisions that allow state takeovers of local elections, shorten absentee ballot deadlines and change absentee ID requirements. The case is the seventh federal lawsuit trying to throw out parts of the voting law. It was filed by the Coalition for Good Governance, five county election board members and several voters."
  
  
• And in truly depressing news, a new CBS poll reckons that 67% of Republicans believe President Biden is not the legitimate winner of the 2020 election. These same respondents still think the party needs to persuade more voters with popular policies and ideas, albeit by a slim margin (53%). The other 47% think the way the GOP will win is by changing state voting rules, presumably to discourage or eliminate the votes of those who are likely to vote for the other party. The discussion of the poll is quite detailed and covers a number of issues. So go look at the whole thing.

EVENTS

Tue May 18, 2021

Outdoor Drinking Liberally MKE, 6pm - 8pm
Estabrook Beer Garden, 4600 Estabrook Drive, Milwaukee
Drinking Liberally MKE will get together in person for the first time in a long time. More information.

Wed May 19, 2021

State-Federal Infrastructure Push, 12pm - 1pm
Online
Join WisPolitics.com for a special virtual luncheon on 'Assessing the State-Federal Infrastructure Push.' The program begins with a briefing from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D- Madison, followed by a panel discussion featuring: Wisconsin DOT Secretary Craig Thompson, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Waukesha County Exec. Paul Farrow and Neenah Mayor Dean Kaufert, a former top GOP Assembly member. The event will then shift to questions from the audience. Registration (required).

On the Issues: Policing in Wisconsin, 12:15pm - 12:15pm
Online
Mike Gousha will talk with co-chairs of the Speaker’s Task Force on Racial Disparities, Representatives Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) and Sheila Stubbs (D-Madison). The task force recently released a series of recommendations that would change policing in Wisconsin. They focus on four categories: 1. Use of force by law enforcement; 2. Law enforcement oversight and accountability; 3. Officer training and standards; and 4.Community engagement. Click on the words “Watch Now” on the webpage starting any time after 12:15 p.m. on May 19 to view the program. To submit a question prior to the program, scroll all the way down to the form on the webpage.

Info: Laughing Liberally MKE, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Online
For information on the latest Laughing Liberally offerings go here.

Milwaukee Press Club Announces 2021 Sacred Cat and Headliner Awards, 6:30pm - 8pm
Online
The Milwaukee Press Club announced that Gloria Borger, CNN chief political analyst, is the club’s 2021 Sacred Cat Award honoree. The award, given annually since 1973, recognizes excellence in journalism at the national level. Borger will accept the award at the club’s annual Gridiron Awards event, a virtual program set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 19. The club also will honor its 2021 Headliners: John W. Daniels, Jr., Chairman Emeritus of Quarles & Brady and Bob and Susan Mikulay, of St.Croix Productions, who are long-time community volunteers and board members at non-profit organizations throughout the Milwaukee area. Winners of the press club’s 2020 Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism competition also will be recognized. Registration is available for the Gridiron Awards Virtual Ceremony. Registration deadline is Friday, May 14.

Info: Southwest Region Dems Meeting, 7pm - 7pm
TBA
Southwest Dems (Region 5) cover Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Milwaukee (Southwest), West Allis, West Milwaukee. For information on when a meeting may be held check here or contact [email protected].

Thu May 20, 2021

Mental Health Awareness Block Party, 4pm - 7pm
600 W Virginia St, Milwaukee
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Come help Mental Health America of Wisconsin celebrate and raise awareness at our upcoming Mental Health Awareness Block Party in our parking lot at 600 W. Virginia St. The event is free and open to the public, bring your family and friends. Hope to see you there!

ACLU Action: H.R. 40, Reparative Justice, 7pm - 7pm
Zoom
The ACLU recently launched its Systemic Equality agenda, a multi-year racial justice agenda seeking to address America's legacy of racism and systemic discrimination. This session of the Systemic Equality Action Series will discuss reparative justice. RSVP. More information.

Sat May 22, 2021

Courts, Milw Police & Covid-19, 9:30am - 11am
Zoom
The Community Brainstorming Conference will present a virtual forum about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on our police and judicial system. Panelists: Atty. Avery Goodrich, Jr. - Criminal Defense Attorney, Goodrich Law Hon. Danielle Shelton - Milw. Cty. Circuit Court Judge, Branch 46 Hon. David A. Feiss - Milw. Cty. Circuit Court Judge, Branch 40 Lt. Carlos Felix - Community Liaison, Milw. Police Dept. Moderator: Atty. Felicia Miller-Watson Chairperson: Hon. Russell Stamper, Sr. Sign up.

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
Sherman Boulevard & 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 May 24, 2021

Journey to Fair Redistricting, 4:30pm - 4:30pm
Online
Join Ben Rangel, Milwaukee’s representative on the People’s Map Commission, and Matt Petering, UWM Engineering Professor and owner of District Solutions LLC, for a discussion on gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Learn how gerrymandering affects our representative democracy, the role of the People’s Map Commission and how we can work together to ensure a fair and impartial map for Wisconsin. Presented by the Milwaukee Public Library and the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County. Registration.

Wed May 26, 2021

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

Thu May 27, 2021

Mental Health Board Meeting, 9am - 9am
Teleconference
This is a teleconference meeting (see Agenda for details). Public Comment: none. More information.

Sat May 29, 2021

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

Tue Jun 1, 2021

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

Wed Jun 2, 2021

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

Sat Jun 5, 2021

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
TBA
Stand for Peace is resuming in-person events with masks and social distancing. Check for more information. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Wis Democratic State Convention, 9am - 5pm
Online
TBA

Sun Jun 6, 2021

Wis Democratic State Convention, 9am - 5pm
Online
TBA

Mon Jun 7, 2021

Virtual Drinking Liberally Waukesha, 6:30pm - 6:30pm
TBA
Drinking Liberally Waukesha may be held virtually with Zoom. Check for updates.