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From SDS
Join SDS at Riverside Park at 3 p.m. Friday for a National Day of Protest
You do not need to be a student to come and protest with us. We will be protesting against Trump's higher education compact and for La Crosse to be a sanctuary city! We will have some signs and water, so don't worry if you don't know what to bring. Otherwise, if you do have signs (anything anti-MAGA is fine), feel free to bring them!
Science advocates like you will have the opportunity to speak directly with elected officials, share your story, and advocate for affordable energy, clean air and water, and an actionable climate plan that puts people first.
Wisconsin Climate Day of Action at Capitol
Tuesday, November 11
9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT
Wisconsin State Capitol, 2 E Main St., Madison
RSVP now for the day of action!
The day will be centered around energy accountability and affordability, specifically these three key priorities:
All lobby day attendees will have a preparation session and then a scheduled visit with their elected officials in both the House and Senate. The day will include a light breakfast, briefings and lobby training, testimony prep time, a press event with guest speakers, scheduled lobby visits, and lunch.
Don't wait—take a minute to RSVP now! We hope to see you there.
Library Director Dawn Wacek recently appeared on WIZM to discuss the issue. Listen hear. According to the WIZM summary, "One of those options is to close the north side library branch. Other options include cuts to staff, services and hours — all of which may likely happen, regardless of the fate of the north branch library." [emphasis added]
The North Side Library may serve fewer people than the main branch, but it is an important community "third space" that helps strengthen the neighborhood. This area of La Crosse is also a high non-driver area (in some block groups, 40% or more are non-drivers) meaning if the neighborhood space closes, chances are good people will not use the far away alternative. With hourly evening bus service the transit "time tax" would be too great.
Many individuals and some groups have offered to volunteer to keep this space open if personnel costs are an issue (they are). Some of us grew up during a time when there were only one or two librarians and some volunteer helpers who shelved books, helped you find something to read, and checked you out. For many, that is preferable to having no library or one that is not accessible.
Of course if you work or have no car, Tuesday at 4 p.m. is not the greatest chance to give feedback. This library is accessibke using the MTU at least.
If you can't attend the meeting, please email using the Library Board's feedback form and/or sending emails to the director and board members. Find that information here: https://www.lacrosselibrary.org/about/boards
From League of Women Voters:
Issues surrounding immigration are much in the news and producing a wide spectrum of public responses. The LWV has identified Immigration as a social issue to impact through education and advocacy. Please join us for November’s Lunch and Learn when we welcome Ben Sonsalla, Immigrant Advocate for Catholic Charities. Ben will present an overview of immigration in the US, current issues in the Coulee Region, his work with Catholic Charities, and suggestions for actions we can take to support our neighbors who are immigrant workers.
Registration will reserve lunch and provide a Zoom link for virtual attendance. The public is welcome to join us for lunch or at no cost to attend the 12:00 p.m. program only. A recording of the program will be posted on our website a few days after the live event.
Lunches must be reserved and paid for by the end of the day Wednesday, 11/5. Pre-paid lunches are nonrefundable.
From La Crosse Area Transit Advocates:
We believe the proposal to end the SMRT has been made without enough concern for these riders and the far-reaching benefits of the service and without enough research into how the system could be improved to address the issues outlined. We strongly urge the County Board to fund the SMRT in 2026.
We encourage everyone who understands that public transportation is an essential right to sign our petition, contact our County Board, and, if possible, attend a public hearing to speak for the SMRT.
Information about SMRT
You can listen to the audio of the September 8 County Board planning meeting where the plan to stop the SMRT at the end of 2025 was presented (starts at 31:09). The minutes of the meeting are here; they include a summary of some of the numbers mentioned in the audio. The presentation slides are here. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vEkG_8xSI7dHoNZ_bD66BhyGuDjqRX26/view?usp=sharing
If you haven't yet, please sign the petition at https://tinyurl.com/savethesmrt
Please contact - meeting, phone call, or email - your county board representative. Your personal SMRT story will have an impact. If you can't meet with your rep. in person or by phone, please email CountyBoardSupervisors@LaCrosseCounty.org
Ask your organization, club, faith group to send a letter supporting the SMRT, too!
Learn more about the issue at https://tinyurl.com/savethesmrtpage
Here are a few online opportunities for learning, connecting, supporting.
Native American Heritage Month resources from the American Writers Museum.
Gather (2020) - GATHER follows the stories of natives on the frontlines of a growing movement to reconnect with spiritual and cultural identities that were devastated by genocide.
Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages (2025) - A look inside Alaska Native villages fighting for survival against climate change. With the Howard Center at ASU, FRONTLINE examines why communities are relocating and why they’re struggling to preserve their traditions.
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, award-winning historian Kathleen DuVal discusses her new book, Native Nations: A Millennium in North America, tracing a thousand years of Native history—from the rise of ancient cities and the arrival of Europeans to today’s ongoing fights for sovereignty. Thomas Donnelly, chief scholar of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
Register for link: https://constitutioncenter.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DfZUJxoZQ1u8OCNKXcEdpA#/registration
Menominee Agriculture from Past to Future. Thursday, Nov 13 at Noon. Miranda Wasinawatok will share archaeological insights shaped by both personal experience and academic training to highlight the significance of Menominee agriculture in Wisconsin. While earlier narratives framed ancestral Menominee as primarily hunter-gatherers, archaeological evidence has supported a long-standing agricultural tradition, which Miranda has been fortunate to witness in reshaping understanding. Miranda will discuss how the archaeological record informs strategies for food sovereignty and strengthens connections to ancestral knowledge. Register: https://www.wiwic.org/event-details/native-american-heritage-webinar-series-menominee-agriculture-from-past-to-future
Also, donate to pantries and food drives. Do you belong to a church? Can they host daily or weekly soup & bread meals?
CALL DVO and demand that SNAP funds, already allocated, be spent. This should not be another Irish "potato famine," where the resources are available but the powerful choose who is important and who is NOT. This has been part of the plan. Don't let them.
List of food resources in La Crosse county.
From Opportunity Wisconsin
CANCELED due to illness
Protest at 5 pm, 210 S. 7th St.
Congressional Republicans, including Congressman Derrick Van Orden, shut down the government just because they refused to lower health care costs for Wisconsin families. Republicans would rather shut down the government, which is going to cause real pain for Wisconsin families, than reverse their harmful health care cuts or prevent premiums from skyrocketing. Earlier this year, they acted quickly to make tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations permanent - now they’re sitting on their hands while the government is shut down because of the crisis they created.
Join us on Thursday, Oct. 30th, from 5:00-6:30 outside Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s La Crosse office to call on Congressman Van Orden to end the government shutdown and take action to keep health care costs down.
Feel free to wear costumes, bring signs and make your voices heard! (No electoral signs please!)
Upcoming Public Input Sessions on the city's zoning update process:
October 2025
Community Input Meetings to review Draft Zoning Code Recommendations
October 29 – Noon - 2:00 pm at Black River Beach Neighborhood Center 🚌 #6
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm at South Side Neighborhood Center 🚌 #1 + circulators
November 2025
Nov 10 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of La Crosse, 401 West Ave. S. 🚌 #2 + circulator
Nov 17 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at 5th Ward Community Room, 1221 Hagar St 🚌 #5
Nov 24 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at First Congregational Church, Main St & Losey Blvd 🚌 #4
https://forwardlacrosse.org/
AND
October 30 at 5:30 A panel conversation about city planning at Oolala Consign, 1006 19th St S (Jackson Plaza). There will be snacks. 🚌 Circulator
From WisDems:
Just days ago, millions of Americans exercised their First Amendment rights at No Kings events nationwide. But that right - the right to speak out, protest, and dissent - is under attack.
President Trump and his allies are using federal power to suppress political speech, intimidate journalists, and silence protestors nationwide. These attacks on the First Amendment threaten the foundation of democracy — our right to stand up, speak truth, and organize for change.
Join us on Tuesday, October 28th at 7 PM CT for our October People Power Action Call. You'll hear directly from ACLU experts and organizers on:
From Driftless Mutual Aid and Larson's General:
Help @driftlessmutualaid help our neighbors as SNAP benefits are set to expire.
Drop off non perishables at any of the LFPs listed here OR donate to Larson General's 9th & Main LFP fund (Venmo Larson's General owner Mary Larson and write "pantry" in the note).
Learn more here: https://facebook.com/larsonsgeneral/
As you may have heard, the Northside Library is at a very real risk of being permanently closed. The Library Board will be voting on this issue at the next Library Board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 5 p. m. in the basement auditorium of the Main Library. There is also an option to attend online through a Zoom link.
The City of La Crosse is currently managing a budget shortfall and as a result... the library is being asked to reduce the budget by $174,705.
A misconception is that our City Council is the one to make the decision about the Library. In Wisconsin, libraries are protected by State Statute for how their budgets are spent so it is the Library Board that makes the decision on where to make cuts. As a result it is the Library Board who is choosing the route to potentially close the Northside Library, not City Council as there are other options on the table.
The two options put forth by library leadership are the following and neither option lays off any staff:
A. Reduce the overall budget by not filling vacant positions including the Deputy Director position which has been unfilled since May and has not been intended to be filled since the hiring of the new Director. Add 1 PT staff. Total savings $180,063
B. Reduce the overall budget by not filling vacant positions including the Deputy Director position, closing the Northside Library permanently, restoring Main Library hours to pre-Covid levels and hiring 3 PT staff. Total savings $173,333
Both of these options would meet the amount required to submit to City Council for a reduction in budget, but the second option would result in a permanent closure of a Northside resource.
I am working to share this information with as much of the public as possible since last week the Library Board had intended to put through a vote prioritizing Option B which could have resulted in a permanent closure without the public having a chance to voice input. Through a strong effort of many members of the community, we were able to have an opportunity for limited public input given the timeline between presentation of these options and the vote (one week) and refer the vote to the meeting on Nov. 11 to give a full opportunity for public input.
If you can attend on Nov. 11 that will have a big impact and will allow the Library Board and leadership to hear directly from you. The meeting will deviate from the typical protocol and will be allowing members of the public to sign up at the meeting for public comment. You can also attend online through the meeting Zoom link and participate in public comment.
If you would like to write a letter that would be great too! Please just know that the process is a bit convoluted. You will need to write through the online comment form on the Library website and it will ask for a Library card number. If you do not have one, that is okay, you can just enter a different number. As taxpayers, your voice matters, library card or not. The link is: https://www.lacrosselibrary.org/about/contact and then scroll down to the feedback form.
I have been requesting these letters be sent to us as Board members so we should receive them. If you write to Council it is super helpful to have our representatives hear but if you can try to duplicate your letter in the comment form as I have discouragingly found out those letters are not being sent to us as Board members unless we explicitly request them. Unfortunately there are not contact emails for Board members included online but there are several members with public email addresses and we have a Council representative on our Board who can speak to the Council letters.
If you send letters please copy me so I can ensure the letters are shared as well kljleigh@gmail.com
Here are the Board members on the Library website: https://www.lacrosselibrary.org/about/boards
SEIU is holding a rally in support of workers that calls out DVO on Friday, October 24 at noon at the corner of 7th St & South Avenue.
If you usually show up at city hall Fridays at noon, come on over to Gundersen for this one on Friday.
From Yuval Abraham:
Desperate times call for desperate measures. This course offers a foundation of the migration process for asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants. Participants will review legislation that impact resettlement while gaining insight on refugees’ experiences and psychological well-being.
Activities in the training are designed to assist providers in understanding the complexities related to migration while improving outcomes for this population through skills and integration.
Read more at registration links.
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From League of Women Voters
We are a country in crisis. What's at stake for our democracy and how did the three branches of government reach this level of dysfunction?
Most importantly, what do we do now as citizens, advocates, and voters? Join us for Issues Briefing 2025 to learn what's at stake and how we fight back.
Wednesday, October 22 The Crisis: Executive Branch How abuse of power is causing major imbalance and dysfunction
Saturday, October 25 The Crisis: Legislative Branch Are our representatives representing us? Why their role is imperative.
Tuesday, October 28 The Crisis: Judicial Branch Major threats to our rights are looming. Major threats to our rights are looming. What's on the docket for democracy?
Get more details and register here: https://lwvwisconsin.wixsite.com/ib2025
NO KINGS RALLY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 FROM NOON TO 2 P.M. at the corner of Losey Boulevard and State Road. Peaceful. Impactful. Necessary.
Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.
Learn more here: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/841702/
There is no law that requires people to stay six feet from a curb. But: Do not block sidewalks or driveways. Do not block traffic.
From Opportunity Wisconsin:
Republicans have refused to prevent harmful cuts to healthcare, choosing to continue the government shutdown instead. We’ll stand together to demand that Rep. Van Orden restore healthcare and keep the government open. A shutdown means higher health care costs, more strain on food programs, and even more uncertainty for families who are already struggling.
We invite everyone to think about what you would say to Rep. Van Orden if he were here. If you’d like, bring remarks to share with the group — whether that’s a short story about how cuts affect you, or simply why keeping the government open matters to your family.
Please join us and bring a friend. Feel free to bring a candle or sign if you’d like. Our costume suggestion? Chicken theme!
The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin invites you to a free webinar on protest safety and knowing your rights. As communities prepare for the upcoming No Kings protests, we want everyone to feel confident, safe, and empowered while exercising their First Amendment rights.
This event will also feature a virtual poster-making workshop. Get creative, share ideas, and make your message heard loud and clear.
Wednesday, October 15th at 6 PM
Register here: bit.ly/LWVWI-KnowYourRights-Webinar
NO KINGS RALLY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 FROM NOON TO 2 P.M. at the corner of Losey Boulevard and State Road. Peaceful. Impactful. Necessary.
Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.
Learn more here: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/841702/
Sunday, October 19 from 11 a. m. to 3 p. m.
Logan HS (take the #5 bus!)
By, for, and about people with disabilities, those who know people with disabilities, and those who want to learn more.
FREE and open to all.
Learn more here: https://www.disabilityactionnetwork.com/disabilitypridefest
From La Crosse Indivisible:
Please join us for our Visibility Brigade this Thursday at 4:00 on the Bainbridge Street Pedestrian Bridge next to Norwood Inn on French Island. Bring your signs and your friends!
RED ALERT! COMMENT BY OCTOBER 20!
Watch this urgent warning (if you're on TikTok here) and act now!
"[Stephen] Miller is asking the Election Assistance Commission to change the rules so you would need a passport or a birth certificate with your current legal name just to register to vote. This will not only violate the Voting Rights Act, it strips millions of Americans of their ability to vote. Not only does it target women who have changed their last name after getting married, but also indigenous voters with Tribal IDs, older Americans without passports, military families who are moving around often, and rural communities who cannot travel miles just to register.
"Right now, over 235,000 comments have been submitted in favor of this by conservative activists. We have to push back and we have to make our opposition known."
Submit a public comment NOW through Stand Up America
At Myrick Park Nature Place from 9 to 3, including activities, tours, speakers, tournaments, vendors.
At UWL Student Union from 3 to 8 p.m., including tours, vendors, speakers, music, dance.
7:30 p.m. Keynote speaker: Amy Lonetree
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"To execute their plan, they formed the Knights of the Forest, a secret society with one goal: 'To banish forever from our beautiful State every Indian who now desecrates our soil.' What followed was one of the most grisly forced removals in the nation’s history."
To Banish Forever: A Secret Society, the Ho-Chunk, and Ethnic Cleansing in Minnesota by Cathy Coats.
From La Crosse Indivisible:
Friday, October 10th, there will be two opportunities to protest. First, the weekly protest at the La Crosse City Hall. This takes place from 12pm to 1pm every Friday. We usually have about 15 to 20 of us out there, but we always welcome more voices! Come out and show up!
