February 17, 2026 News Update
Empower Voters, Defend Democracy
The League shall not support or oppose any political party or candidate. | Welcome to 2026! We've got a lot of work ahead.
This is an exciting year with three elections ahead! Mark your calendars and make a commitment to vote in every election this year. Your participation makes all the difference. Make sure your friends vote too!
________________________________
April 7 - Spring Election
August 11 - Partisan Primary
November 3 - General Election
| Contact Your Senators Now
Vote NO on the SAVE Act |  | Congress continues to introduce bills that would require voters to present documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) to register and/or vote. In the 119th Congress, three major pieces of legislation have been introduced to require DPOC to vote, including:
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House in 2025 and would require citizenship documentation to register to vote, and, more recently
The SAVE America Act and the Make Elections Great Again Act, which have even stricter components than the SAVE Act, like requirements for voters to present proof of citizenship both at registration and the polls, prohibiting the use of student IDs at the polls, and for absentee ballots to be received by election day.
The SAVE Act isn’t about safeguarding elections — it’s about silencing voters. We must join together to oppose this dangerous legislation and protect people’s freedom to vote.
Take action: Tell Congress to oppose the SAVE Act suite of bills.
| February Book Club
February 23, 2026 | Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich's plans while at her husband's side and understood more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star.
But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she was a scientist. And she had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis and revolutionize modern communication...if anyone would listen to her.
A novel based on the true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication.
| Black Excellence Awards
February 28, 2026 | The award ceremony is a highlight of the evening, celebrating individuals and organizations who exemplify excellence in our community. During this uplifting segment, honorees will receive their Black Excellence Celebration awards. Each recipient will be recognized for their contributions. League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area has received the Ally Award for three consecutive years.
| AAUW International Women's Day
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | Free parking will be available in Lot C-12 (by the Cleary Center) or on the campus streets (16th, 17th, or Farwell – around the ramp). For additional information about accessibility, please contact International Education and Engagement at international@uwlax.edu or 608-785-8016. A Zoom option is available on Facebook; see below.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM
The Bluffs Room
Student Union
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) campus
521 East Avenue South
La Crosse, WI 54601
| La Crosse County Board Candidate Open House
March 14, 2026 | Our civic engagement coalition seeks to encourage voter interest and participation in the April 7th Spring Election when all La Crosse County Board seats will be on the ballot. We are hosting an informal Candidate Open House with 41 registered candidates invited.
Partners providing viewing online of the candidate introduction recordings:
League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area - lwvlacrosse.org
La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce - lacrossechamber.com
La Crosse Area Development Corporation - ladcolax.com
UWL-Department of Political Science and Public Administration
To see all the information on the event, including a County Supervisory Map of Districts, please visit lwvlacrosse.org/county | Save The Date!
Legislative Breakfast - Members Only
March 21, 2026 8:30-10:30 AM | | We will again be hosting a cordial, nonpartisan conversation with our state and national representatives, who are invited to share legislative updates on key issues. Join your fellow LWVLA members in-person or join us via a Zoom for this year's Legislative Breakfast. The morning includes a moderated Q&A which gives League members - as interested constituents - the opportunity to voice questions or suggestions. | March Book Club
March 30, 2026 |  | Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.
In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, preventable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year.
In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.
~ Goodreads
For more information contact:
Maureen Kinney
kinneymaureen6@gmail.com
| LWV La Crosse Vote411 Team
Join our volunteer team! Vote411 (www.vote411,org) is committed to ensuring voters have the information they need to successfully participate in every election. LWV La Crosse publishes non-partisan voter information for La Crosse County for local elections such as country . city council, municipal and town boards, and school boards.
Vote411 volunteers commit a few hours in mid-February to personally email contact and invite about ten local candidates to participate in our local Vote411 election guide. Volunteers receive candidate contact information and messaging materials. Contact Deb Lutjen and Ina Felsheim if you would like more information or would like to join our team. Vote411@lwvlacrosse.org.
To see all our teams follow this link | Observer Corps and League Lens | Read news from local sources. Find the latest League Lens here. Our observer corps continues to provide important information about government in action. Our page can be found at the link below. Be more engaged in how our local communities work.
| April 7, 2026 Spring Election
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Both Interviews Available Now! | Interview with candidate Chris Taylor was held December 6, 2025.
Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJeU1WjBUSU
Interview with candidate Maria Lazar was held February 4, 2026
Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGD4t6HuDEA
| Miss the Winter Webinar
Environmental Effects of Data Centers?
Webinar Recording Available Now! | Make a Difference.
Let Your Voice Be Heard. |  | The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) has opened public comments on the proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom addition to the White House.
Before nationally significant places are permanently altered, the public deserves an opportunity to help shape the decision. The White House is a National Historic Landmark and National Park, owned by the American people and home to our presidents since 1800.
This review is also required under federal law. Major construction projects in Washington, D.C. must undergo review by the NCPC and the Commission of Fine Arts, comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, and receive congressional approval.
While expanded event space may be needed, additions must respect the historic scale and design of the White House. At 90,000 square feet, the proposed ballroom would exceed the size of the 55,000-square-foot Executive Residence. Additions to historic properties should be compatible in scale and subordinate to the original structure. Commissioners need to hear directly from the public. As Carol Quillen has said, the American people deserve “an opportunity to provide comment and shape the project.”
Written comments are due March 4 (Noon ET). The public may also register to speak at the virtual March 5 NCPC meeting.
Get started: https://ow.ly/LThl50YfoCJ | Congratulations Are in Order! | 🎉CONGRATULATIONS TO ROBIN SCHMIDT! 🎉
A League of Women Voters of Wisconsin member, Robin Schmidt, was appointed by Governor Evers in late 2023 to serve on the State Natural Resources Board (NRB), which is the policy-setting body for the DNR. In January of 2026, the NRB voted to elect Robin as the Chair of that Board. Robin worked at the DNR for many years as a hydrogeologist and later as a program manager for the water infrastructure finance programs. She served as the past president for the LWV of the La Crosse Area and has a commitment to transparent government and Wisconsin's conservation and environmental legacy. Thank you for your service to the state, Robin, and we look forward to watching the great work you'll undertake with the NRB! |  |  | | All links to other websites are provided for the public convenience only. LWVLA exercises no control of the information or opinions contained on such sites. Provision of these links on the LWVLA site does not indicate an endorsement of their contents by LWVLA . | Empower voters. Defend democracy.
| Help Spread the Word
Like, Follow, and Share Our Content on Social Media: | Contact Us:
website: lwvlacrosse.org
email: lwvlawi@gmail.com
PO Box 363
La Crosse, WI 54601
| |