If you have a bunch of questions about the process involved in impeaching and/or removing a president from office, the Washington Post has you covered in their article What you need to know about the impeachment inquiry into Trump. As this process unfolds — at breakneck speed it seems — Grassroots North Shore also has you covered with its fortuitously scheduled forum on impeachment, Sunday, October 13, at the North Shore Presbyterian Church (4048 N. Bartlett, Shorewood) Doors will open at 4 and the forum will begin at 4:20. Originally couched as a debate on whether to impeach the current occupant of the White House, or not, the discussion will center on the next set of questions:

• Should the process be short and focus only on Ukraine? Or, should it include obstruction of justice, obstruction of congress, and many other misdeeds?
  
  
• Should not only Trump but also Barr and Pompeo be included in the impeachment inquiry?
  
  
• Should this process be our focus at all since a lot of the Democratic leadership thinks we will be unable to make Trump pay the price?

You may have your own questions and suggestions. So come prepared for a lively discussion. And as usual, we ask that you RSVP.

And while we're on the subject, I want to call your attention to the way Rachel Maddow framed the allegations in her show last might. A writer on Daily Kos has a good bullet list of the main points. But if you have the time, you might want to watch the full clip from the show. The gist is this: to wrap your mind around the whole tale, and cease craning you neck to see, you just need to know that the whole goal, in Rachel's analysis, is to end the sanctions on Russia. Thus, undermining the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in our 2016 elections AND ensuring that Ukraine and Russia end their war (presumably on Russia's terms) will result in lifting all the sanctions the US and our allies have placed on Russia in the last five years! (The most recent set of sanctions resulted from election meddling and the earlier set resulted from Russia's annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine.)

Meanwhile, 2020 is coming up fast. And in case you didn't know, Wisconsin has FOUR elections scheduled for the year;

• Feb 18, the nonpartisan primary election;
  
  
• April 7, the nonpartisan general election AND the presidential primary election;
  
  
• Aug. 11, the partisan primary election;
  
  
• Nov. 3, the national general election.

Mark your calendars! Grassroots North Shore is planning to do as much as we can to turn out the vote in all four elections. Right now, we are starting with "deep canvassing" in an effort to build a relationship with people who lean toward progressive values and candidates but don't always vote. We have two more deep canvassing events scheduled for this fall — Wed, 10/2, from 5-7:30pm, and Sat., 10/12, from 2-4:30pm. Both canvasses begin at our office — 5600 W. Brown Deer Rd., Suite 116. We need your help to make this effort a success, so please sign up!

We will also be holding a more traditional canvass on Saturday, November 2, from our office, and Sunday, November 3, from Shirley Horowitz's house. We're participating in a Weekend of Action to mark one year until the general election in 2020. I'll have more details — the times and perhaps a preview of the script — in the next couple of weeks. So save the dates now!

In addition to our work on voter turnout, we are trying to help move two bills — AB303 and SB288 — through the legislative committees to which they have been submitted. The bills would create and a nonpartisan and publicly transparent process for drawing the next set of electoral maps in 2021. So, we're holding postcard parties to send the GOP members of those committees pre-printed postcards to urge them to hold hearings and vote the bills out to the full Assembly and Senate. Come to the office on Wednesday, October 2 at 5pm or Saturday, October 12 at 2pm to help us pressure the legislature to unrig the maps. You can find more information on our website and on Facebook: 10/2 on the web and on Facebook OR 10/12 on the web and on Facebook.

Fall is officially here. And with it comes a flood of events. So I'll keep this intro brief.

Grassroots North Shore is holding four more deep canvass events plus four postcard parties. The postcards are to urge the Republican members of the Assembly's Committee on Campaigns and Elections and the Senate's Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection to hold public hearings on the bills to ensure that the 2021 process for drawing electoral districts is non-partisan, transparent, and fair. For deep canvassing, we will provide all the essential materials and some training in this canvassing technique. For the postcard parties, we will provide printed messages on postcards, pens, recipients' names and addresses, and stamps. All you have to do is fill out the remaining information. We will mail the postcards for you.

Deep canvassing will help ensure a robust turnout in the 2020 elections and postcard parties will help keep the issue of extreme gerrymandering front and center in the legislature. We need your help to accomplish these goals. So please sign up!

• Deep Canvassing, Wed. Sept. 25, 5-7:30pm
• Postcard Party, Wed. Sept. 25, 5-7:30pm
  
  
• Deep Canvassing, Sat. Sept. 28, 2-4:30pm
• Postcard Party, Sat. Sept. 28, 2-4:30pm
  
  
• Deep Canvassing, Wed. Oct. 2, 5-7:30pm
• Postcard Party, Wed. Oct. 2, 5-7:30pm
  
  
• Deep Canvassing, Sat. Oct. 12, 2-4:30pm
• Postcard Party, Sat. Oct. 12, 2-4:30pm
  
  

The latest and most important Trump scandal — his effort to pressure Ukraine to dig up dirt (or manufacture it) on former VP Joe Biden — has made the subject of impeaching him more salient than ever. That's why, on Sunday Oct. 13, we are holding a debate between Dr. Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, and Dr. Sheldon Wasserman, Milwaukee County Supervisor. Kathleen Dunn, long time host of Wisconsin Public Radio, will moderate as our two panelists take sides: Impeachment? or Not? (Or see the event on Facebook and RSVP there!) You won't want to miss what is sure to be a lively and vital discussion. So save the date and sign up now.

On September 15, Grassroots North Shore held its Annual Potluck Picnic with a sellout crowd. Our keynote speaker this year — Seth Hoffmeister, Conservation Voters Director — provided us with a synopsis of what has changed in environmental regulations since Tony Evers replaced Scott Walker as governor. Christine Kuramoto, a stalwart supporter of Grassroots North Shore, has provided us with an account of Hoffmeister's talk and the Q and A session that followed.

This week's link-fest of a newsletter has a brief update on the Foxconn foibles, followed by some important information and events we especially want you to know about.

So, a few days ago, the Journal Sentinel published "It looks like one of Milwaukee's Domes. But this proposed Foxconn building would be high-tech" (jsonline.com, Sept. 12, 2019), a story about a futuristic, spherical building to serve as the "network operations center." According to the article,"[t]he operations center is a central location for network administrators to manage, control and monitor information technology networks." But on the same day, Wisconsin Public Radio announced that "Foxconn's plans to build a nine-story circular office building reminiscent of Epcot's iconic Spaceship Earth building at the entrance of its Orlando theme park in Mount Pleasant have been put on hold." Also on September 12, The Epoch Times (a right-wing news organ) reported that Terry Gou, "quit Taiwan's main opposition party on Sept. 12, paving the way for a possible bid to stand in a presidential election as an independent...." But yesterday, Gou announced that he will not run for president of Taiwan after all! (See Reuters). Foxconn's con in WI carries on: "UW experiences delay in receiving Foxconn gift." The Badger Herald's subhead reads "Rep. Chris Taylor unsurprised." If you've been keeping up with the con, you are surprised either.

Back here in the real world, you don't need to be reminded that politics is a participation sport. So if you live in Milwaukee County, become a member of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party. If you live in Ozaukee County, you can find the "Join the party" link here. Follow the links to find everything you need to know to become a "virtual card-carrying member" of the Democratic Party in your county.

You'll want to be a party member to attend the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee in July 2020! Hot off the presses, here's what you need to know to be a delegate and help choose the party's nominee: Becoming a delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. You know it's going to be in Milwaukee at the Fiserv Forum, right? (For those of you who want to volunteer for the convention, the place to go is milwaukee2020.com. Those of you who have already signed up but have not heard back, be patient a little longer. Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, assured the party faithful that the organizing committee will be fully staffed up and, well, organized soon. And will be in touch.)

Meanwhile, Grassroots North Shore continues to encourage you to join us for some deep canvassing on Wednesday, September 25, from 5-7pm and Saturday, September 28, from 2-5:30pm. Meet in our office at 5600 W Brown Deer Rd, Suite 116. Also on Wednesday, September 25, from 5-7pm and Saturday, September 28, from 2-5:30pm, we're hosting some postcard writing sessions to support two bills, AB303 and SB288. These bills would ensure that the Assembly, state Senate, and US Representative districts that will be drawn in 2021 will be developed in a non-partisan and transparent way. Right now, the bills are stuck in Assembly and Senate committees and cannot come up for a floor vote, let alone be signed into law. Our postcard effort will target the chairs and vice chairs of the relevant committees to urge them to schedule public hearings on the bills. So please give us a little of your time to fill the postcards out — Wednesday, September 25, from 5-7pm, and Saturday, September 28, from 2-4:30pm.

Finally, please SAVE THE DATE: Impeachment? or Not? A Debate on the Future of This Country. Speaking in favor of impeachment is Dr. Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. Speaking against impeachment is Dr. Sheldon Wasserman, Milwaukee County Supervisor. Moderating the proceedings is Kathleen Dunn, long-time host of Wisconsin Public Radion. The program will be held on Sunday, October 13, at North Shore Presbyterian Church (4048 N. Bartlett Ave., Shorewood). We will have further details as we get closer to October 13, so stay tuned. But you can register now.

Congress has returned and is getting very busy with investigations of the Trump administration. We have a Presidential Primary Debate coming up on September 12 with Debate Watch Parties (see the events list below for details). We'll keep our eyes on both of these stories.

But the good news, for now at least, is that Stanley Greenberg, a long-time Democratic pollster, has a new book out — R.I.P. G.O.P. — in which he predicts that "[t]he year 2020 will produce a second blue wave on at least the scale of the first in 2018 and finally will crash and shatter the Republican Party that was consumed by the ill-begotten battle to stop the New America from governing." As we say in my family, "from his lips to G-d's ears!" (Michelle Goldberg, in the NYTimes online, has an excellent op-ed about this book.) Still, we can't afford to become cocky. I know I have flogged these events in nearly every newsletter lately, but deep canvassing is really important.

Here's why: Wisconsin may well be the "tipping point" state — the one that decides whether the USA goes in a new direction or sinks into authoritarianism. And all it takes to be on the right (by which I actually mean the left) side is a few extra votes per ward. So we are working to contact voters who don't always vote because if we turn them out next year, we could turn out Trump and his cronies! We have three more deep canvasses scheduled and we need your help to get to everyone on our list. Please sign up.

The days, dates, and times of these events are as follows:

• Saturday, September 14, from 2:00-4:30pm, at our office (5600 Brown Deer Rd, Suite 116)
• Wednesday, September 25, from 5:00-7:30pm, at our office (5600 Brown Deer Rd, Suite 116)
• Saturday, September 28, from 2:00-4:30pm, at our office (5600 Brown Deer Rd, Suite 116)

And don't forget to sign up for the Grassroots Northshore Annual Potluck Picnic at Cahill Park (in Whitefish Bay) from 4:30-7:30pm on Sunday, September 15.

We'll know in the next week or two whether as a country we've made any progress on gun safety legislation since the mass shootings in El Paso, Dayton, and Odessa. Pat Slutske provides us with a view of the "mental illness" argument against universal background checks and other sensible controls.

Read what Jane Fonda concluded after door-knocking in Scranton, PA, with Working America, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO that "unites working people who don’t have a union on the job. With more than 3 million members in urban and suburban communities, [Working America] works together for good jobs, a fair economy and a democracy that represents all of us."

Her top takeaway — "It’s voters like these we need to talk with — those who are dispirited and confused like Steve; ambivalent like Edith; and uninformed like Sharon. A respectful conversation that started with their concerns and opinions hooked each of them, so when Working America goes back, the door is open to information from a new trusted messenger, which can encourage them to take action on issues they care about and vote with that new information in mind." What Fonda describes is what Grassroots North Shore calls "deep canvassing." It's an effort to connect in a personal way with voters whose views we need to hear.

That's why it is so important that we connect with potential voters now. Please consider becoming a deep canvasser. You and a partner will meet people where they live, holding "respectful conversations" about "their concerns and opinions." You'll be talking to voters who lean in our direction but who do not always vote. And we will need them come November 2020. We have four more deep canvass events scheduled for September:

• Wednesday, September 11, at 5600 Brown Deer Road, Suite 116, starting at 5pm;
• Saturday, September 14, at 5600 Brown Deer Road, Suite 116, starting at 2pm;
• Wednesday, September 25, at 5600 Brown Deer Road, Suite 116, starting at 5pm;
• Saturday, September 28, at 5600 Brown Deer Road, Suite 116, starting at 2pm.

Please sign up for one of them.

I also want to call your attention to two events taking place on Thursday, September 12: Democratic Debate Watch Parties and a showing of the film "Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook."

• Debate Watch Party in Mequon, Ferrante's Restaurant, 10404 N Port Washington Rd, starting at 6:30;
• Debate Watch Party in Fox Point, Martha Pincus' house, 7045 N Belmont Ln, starting at 6:30;
• "Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook" sponsored by WAVE and co-sponsored by Grassroots North Shore, at All People's Church, 2600 N. 2nd St., Milwaukee. Doors open at 6:30 pm, screening begins at 7 pm.

Finally, as we barrel toward fall, there's the annual Grassroots North Shore event. Is it a Picnic? Is it a Party? Or maybe a Path to the Future? It's all of that and more! Grassroots North Shore is holding its annual potluck picnic at Cahill Park (diagonally across from Whitefish Bay High School) on Sunday, September 15. We can promise you good food, convivial conversation, and hope we can make a difference in the world. The featured speaker will be Seth Hoffmeister, Executive Director of Wisconsin Conservation Voters. He will address present and future effects of climate change, and what we can do to prevent and cope with its future effects. Doors open at 4:30, with food served around 5:15. Seth will speak around 6:00. RSVP and find out what food contribution to bring (though you're just as welcome without a dish-to-pass).

Well, the Iowa State Fair is behind us, so the 2020 campaign must be starting in earnest. The next debate(s) will take place on Thursday, September 12 (and if necessary, Friday, September 13), at Texas Southern University in Houston. ABC and Univision will broadcast live. GRNS will host some debate watch parties again, so stay tuned for information on the specifics. The criteria for gaining a spot on the debate stage is higher than it was in June and July. Right now according to NPR, only nine candidates have met them. But candidates have until August 28 to do so. Plenty of time to exceed the 10-persons-per-night limit.

An interesting op-ed piece in the NYTimes online this morning focuses on the power that people of color especially can wield when they turn out to vote. Here are some important tidbits from the piece:

That's why Grassroots North Shore is contacting some low propensity voters on the North Shore: to establish a positive relationship that will encourage people to vote in all four elections in 2020. Of course we will also be doing more traditional voter contact ahead of each election, but now is the time to reach those potential voters, to hear their concerns, and to start them on a path to more engaged political action. I urge you to sign up now for some of our deep canvassing opportunities.

• Wednesday, August 21
  
  
• Sunday, August 25
  
  
• Saturday, September 14
  
  
• Wednesday, September 25
  
  
• Saturday, September 28

After a lazy, hazy July, political action around Milwaukee is beginning to pick up again. So the events list is a little bit longer than it has been the last few weeks. Lest it be lost in the shuffle, then, mark you calendars now for our annual picnic and potluck event at Cahill Park (4950 N Woodruff Ave, Whitefish Bay) on Sunday, September 15. GRNS will supply a main dish and drinks. We'll ask you to bring a side or a dessert to share. In a later newsletter, we will provide more information. But in the meantime, you should know that our theme this year is Climate Change. And a timely topic it is! A trickle of stories about GOPers testing the waters for a change in their flat climate-crisis-denial stance looks like it might be happening. See "Climate Could Be an Electoral Time Bomb, Republican Strategists Fear" in the NYTimes on August 2. Or "Republicans form conservation caucus to take on environment, climate change" in The Hill on July 10. Whether the Republicans really want to change is still up in the air. But you can be sure grassroots groups such as ours are doing what we can to help the public understand the urgency of action. You can RSVP for the picnic on our website or our Facebook page.

It's another week of sadness and outrage. What more is there to say? If you'd like to donate to funds to help the communities of El Paso and Dayton heal, here are some links:

• The El Paso Community Foundation's "El Paso Shooting Victims' Fund"
  
  
• Paso Del Norte Community Foundation donation page
  
  
• The American Red Cross is also accepting donations for El Paso and Dayton
  
  
• The Dayton Foundation's "Dayton Oregon District Tragedy Fund"
  
  
• And lest we forget (because the death rota is so small?), there's also the mass shooting in Gilroy, CA, to support.

And just in case you've averted your eyes, here's today's top story on jsonline.com: Wisconsin leaders show no signs of tackling gun violence after massacres in Texas and Ohio. The story's lead talks about "Wisconsin officials," but really means Republican leaders Vos and Fitzgerald. Do mythical Second Amendment rights trump human life? Apparently.

On a somewhat lighter note, some clever designers in Chicago have created an entire font, Ugly Gerry, from images of gerrymandered districts nationwide. Read about and download it to use to write an email to your assembly representative and state senator.

The newsletter is short this week because I am recuperating from some surgery and just don't have the patience right now to dig through all the news and commentary. According to Eilene Stevens, who took over for me last week, the Irma Bombeck of Grassroots North Shore is happily returning the spot to GRNS' Rachel Maddow! I think she just means that I'm wordier than she is. But I'm grateful for her willingness to do the honors last week.

For our events offerings this week, I especially want to call your attention to opportunities to get involved in the early, seed-sowing stage of campaigns we HAVE TO WIN. So here, once again, are the dates to start a little deep canvassing with Grassroots North Shore:

• Wednesday, August 7
  
  
• Sunday, August 11
  
  
• Wednesday, August 21
  
  
• Sunday, August 25
  
  
• Saturday, September 14

And mark your calendars now for our annual picnic and potluck event at Cahill Park (4950 N Woodruff Ave, Whitefish Bay) on Sunday, September 15. This year's theme is "Climate Change: This Generation and Beyond."

Personally, I'm terrified. The Upshot (NYTimes.com, July 19, 2019), Nate Cohn's statistical forecasting site, suggests that Trump's "advantage in the Electoral College, relative to the national popular vote, may be even larger than it was in 2016, according to an Upshot analysis of election results and polling data." And here's the punch-in-the-gut news: "Wisconsin was the tipping-point state in 2016, and it seems to hold that distinction now, at least based on the president’s approval rating among 2018 midterm voters."

Nate Cohn is not the only pundit focusing on the importance of Wisconsin to the outcome of the 2020 presidential elections. Here are a few other articles:

• Wisconsin will be a hot spot for 2020 presidential candidates. Here's how the state is preparing.
  
  
• Trump Asks Wisconsin to Help Elect Him Again in 2020
  
  
• Trump’s chances in 2020 aren’t nearly as bad as people think

I bring this to your attention because we can't afford to be complacent. We can't afford to waste any time. We need to feel the fierce urgency of now. It won't be good enough to wait for the traditional weekend for Get Out the Vote. It won't be good enough to get around to organizing next summer. It won't be good enough to look at Trump's approval ratings in Wisconsin, note that he is under water, and go back to sleep! That's why Grassroots North Shore is working NOW to contact those voters who might be inclined to vote Blue but who do not always vote. We're on our own listening tour — to find out what issues are important to these potential voters and to build relationships with them. Election wins take only a few votes per ward. And we don't want to wake up on November 4 regretting that we did not contact a few more voters on the North Shore and in Ozaukee and Washington counties! Be a part of the action. Sign up for an August date:

• Wednesday, August 7, Deep Canvassing
  
  
• Sunday, August 11, Deep Canvassing
  
  
• Wednesday, August 21, Deep Canvassing
  
  
• Sunday, August 25, Deep Canvassing
  
  

We also have scheduled some dates in September.

You also don't want to miss our "Funraiser," Are you ready for Political Jeopardy? on Sunday, August 4. The event will include a night of political jeopardy games plus a silent auction of themed baskets, artwork, and crafts. Have fun while helping Grassroots North Shore Keep the Lights On! The event doors open at 3:30 at North Shore Presbyterian Church (4048 N Bartlett Ave, Shorewood). As usual we will serve light refreshments. So RSVP already!

And we're hosting Democratic Debate Watch Parties on Tuesday, July 30, and Wednesday, July 31, in several locations on the North Shore. It's more fun to watch with fellow like-minded people, so plan to come to these events. For more information, look on our website and our Facebook page.

• Tuesday, July 30
  • Art Bar (722 E Burleigh St, Milwaukee)
  • Camp Bar (4044 N Oakland Ave)
  • Ferrante's Restaurant (10404 N Port Washington Rd, Mequon)
• Wednesday, July 31
  • Art Bar (722 E Burleigh St, Milwaukee)
  • Martha Pincus' house (7045 N Belmont Ln, Fox Point)
  • Ferrante's Restaurant (10404 N Port Washington Rd, Mequon)

Finally, Ginny Gennis explains how health insurance in America (dis)functions. You can read the first part of her essay here. You'll find the whole thing on our blog.

...to get going on the elections for 2020.

The second round of debates are coming up. Once again, there will be 20 candidates distributed between the two nights. We won't know until a few days from now who will be on which night but we'll put that information on our events pages once we get the information. Be aware that this month the debates will begin at 7pm CDT!

And once again Grassroots North Shore is hosting several Debate Watch Parties. You can find out all the details of each on on our website's GRNS Events page. Right now, we have 5 watch parties scheduled: on July 30 and July 31 at Ferrante's Restaurant in Mequon; on July 30 and July 31 at Art Bar in Milwaukee; and on July 31 at Martha Pincus' house in Fox Point. We currently looking for someone to host a watch party in Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Glendale, and/or Brown Deer on July 30. (Actually we could use a couple more on the North Shore. So if you would like to volunteer to host one on July 30, or even on July 31, please get in touch with Dean Schultz or Norma Gilson).

Although the level of political activity in the Milwaukee region is on the light side right now, some important work is going on at Grassroots North Shore. As Nate Cohn explains in a must-read NY Times piece on July 15, a larger-than-normal turnout for the 2020 elections does not necessarily confer an advantage on the Democrat's nominee. With our work cut out for us, Grassroots North Shore is trying to learn about infrequent voters in our area. Cohn's piece underlines just how important knowing who are potential voters are! To that end, we are mounting a series of what are known as "deep canvasses," a proven technique for understanding the issues infrequent voters care about and figuring out who we need to motivate to turn out for the election. You can and should sign up to do this vital work. We have canvasses set up on Sunday, July 21; Wednesday, August 7; Sunday, August 11; Wednesday, August 21; Sunday, August 25; Wednesday, September 11; Saturday, September 14; Wednesday, September 25; and Saturday, September 28. You can find all the dates and details for each date on our GRNS Actions --> deep canvassing page. If we want a win in Wisconsin, this is the work we must do. So please become a deep canvasser!

Finally, for those of you who missed the talk on healthcare proposals given by Dr. Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action in Wisconsin, Shirley Horowitz has kindly provided a succinct summary. (You can also see it on our website.)

Lately, there have been several national news and opinion items that speculate about a Trump win in 2020! Some recent examples will give you the gist:

• Steve Rattner in the NY Times (May 27, 2019): "The economy invariably ranks among the top issues on the minds of voters in presidential elections. At the moment, it appears to offer President Trump a meaningful tailwind.
  
  "But how big is that tailwind? Fortunately, economists have worked hard to develop models for predicting election outcomes, and according to one of the best of these, it should be quite large."
  
  
• Allan Lichtman in The Hill (May 30, 2019): "An American University professor who has correctly predicted the last nine presidential elections says President Trump will win the 2020 election unless congressional Democrats, “grow a spine,” CNN reported.
  
  "Allan Lichtman, a political historian, said Democrats only have a shot at the White House if they begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, calling the decision both “constitutionally” and “politically” right in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election."
  
  
• Robert P. Jones in the Atlantic (June 25, 2019): "Yes, it is possible Trump gets reelected. While Democrats have the long-term demographic winds at their back, Republicans have a time machine: a consistent skew in ethnic and religious voter-turnout patterns that, in national elections, has the effect of turning back the demographic clock eight or more years."
  
  
• Aaron Blake in the Washington Post (July 8, 2019): "The poll shows Trump’s approval rating hitting a new high for his presidency, at 47 percent among registered voters. Just as importantly, while it shows him trailing Joe Biden by 10 points in a potential 2020 matchup, he’s neck-and-neck with every other Democrat tested."

Whether you think the economic arguments, the political arguments, or the demographic arguments are the strongest, there's one thing I think we can agree on: we don't want that outcome! So the real question is what are YOU, personally, prepared to do. Right now as well as in the months to come. Grassrooots North Shore will not be idle but we need your participation to accomplish our ambitious goals. Between now and election day (November 3, 2020), we are trying to talk to (or rather listen to) people we believe would vote for our candidate IF they come out to vote. We are targeting people who voted in 2012 but not in 2016 or 2018 plus newly eligible voters in our North Shore communities. We plan to undertake multiple contacts with these people — in person, by phone, by postcard, and by text messages — using the proven techniques of what's known as "deep canvassing."

Please sign up for a training and begin this effort now, while the weather is favorable! You will find all the dates for our first round of efforts on our website, and at each date you will see a brief explanation of what deep canvassing entails and how we are setting canvassers up to succeed.

On the gerrymandering front, it's easy to feel discouraged by the US Supreme Court ruling on June 30, 2019. But do not despair. Even though Wisconsin has no provision for citizen initiatives to amend the state constitution, stand-alone bills have been introduced in the legislature (AB 303 in the Assembly and SB 288 in the Senate). There will be an official rollout of the bills on June 16 with a press conference at 11 am in the in the Assembly Parlor in the WI State Capitol. Sen. Hansen, Rep. Vining, Jay Heck, Matt Rothschild, Erin Grunze, and Sachin Chheda will be speaking at the press conference. It would be great if members of Grassroots North Shore could attend, but you should watch for coverage of the event in the local press in any case. The really great news out of this announcement will be that at least 2 Republicans have co-authored the bills and a third Republican has publicly announced that he will vote for it.

In other good news for those opposed to gerrymandering, 42 of the 72 county boards have passed resolutions calling for the legislature to implement non-partisan redistricting by 2021! Obviously, both Democratic-leaning and Republican-leaning counties have taken this stance. And a recent Marquette Law School poll found that 73% of Wisconsin voters, both Democrats and Republicans, want redistricting to be nonpartisan and fair!

Looking ahead, please mark your calendars for some important events coming at the end of July and the beginning of August. There will be two nights of Democratic candidate debates on Tuesday, July 30, and Wednesday, July 31. We again will host Debate Watch Parties at various locations. I'll bring you all the details when those are finalized. But right now we know that there will be watch parties both nights at the Art Bar (733 E Burleigh St., Milwaukee) and Ferrante's Restaurant (10404 N Port Washington Rd, Mequon). On Wednesday, July 31, there will be a debate watch party at Martha Pincus' house (7045 N Belmont Ln, Fox Point). More details are on our website and Facebook event page.

You should also save the date — Sunday, August 4 from 3:30 - 6 pm — for a fun time playing Political Jeopardy. We would appreciate it if you would RSVP for this one. As we usually do, we will be serving finger food to everyone. And we need to let our volunteers know how much to make!