7/8: Town Hall with 3rd CD Candidate, Laura Benjamin

Town Hall with Laura Benjamin (Rep. Van Orden invited)

July 8 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Black River Beach Neighborhood Center

1433 Rose Street, La Crosse

RSVP: https://actionnetwork.org/events/la-crosse-town-hall-with-laura-benjamin-rep-van-orden-invited

info@laurabenjaminforcongress.com

ACLU People Power training

From ACLU:

Ready to turn your passion into action? Join our new ACLU People Power Series: Organizing to Protect Democracy. Our kick off session happens July 8th! 

We are in the fight of a lifetime to defend our rights, our freedoms, and our democracy. This is the first session in our free, high impact, virtual training series built to ignite your activism and give you the tools to organize, mobilize, and lead in this critical moment. Our communities need bold action, and we need you in the fight. 

You'll learn how to: 

• Organize effectively in your community 
• Have persuasive conversations that move people to action 
• Build lasting connections with others who are ready to rise to the moment 

This is the first in a 4-part training series that is designed for people ready to turn passion into action - and to take on an even greater leadership role in their community. Space is limited, so sign up now to reserve your spot. All we ask is that you commit to attend and share info about this training with friends and family. Organizing is relational, and the path forward depends on all of us. 

Now is the moment to stand up for our democracy, so join us for this training and be part of the movement for change. 

Register here: https://act.aclu.org/a/pplpowerpoped1

July 19 Good Trouble

From Tasha (paraphrased):

We will join millions of other protests across the nation to commemortate the late U.S. Representative John Lewis who dedicated his life to nonviolent social change during the Civil Rights movement  and is best known for his role in the Selma to Montgomery Marches, in particular "Bloody Sunday." 

Our visibility event will take place on Saturday July 19 at the intersection of State Rd. and Losey Blvd from 12 Noon to 2 p.m. Here is the link: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/810929/

Also, there is an IPhone app called ICEBlock. This app made an appearance on CNN and reportedly does not take the data of the user but allows the user to locate ICE on the map and choose a different route and also report ICE sightings. I am not aware of anything for ANDROID users at this time. [App developers explain why Android ICE BLOCK is not feasible and suggesg alternatives here.]

Br sure to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. Here are good resources:

• The Immigrant Resource Legal Center where you can print off your rights protected by the consitituion in case of an ICE interaction available in 39 languages for free: https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas#item-4477
• American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights
• Voces De La Frontera Madison, WI: (470) 454-4508 or nindik@vdlf.org

If you are interested in helping start an Indivisible chapter in La Crosse, please connect and we will forward you to organizers.

Strategic non-cooperation training

From Indivisible:

One day mass mobilizations like No Kings Day are incredible shows of movement energy, but they are, by definition, confined to a single day. To defeat MAGA, we’re going to have to mobilize more people, and we’re going to have to do it on a sustained basis. That’s where One Million Rising comes in. 

The success of an authoritarian takeover is dependent upon a population choosing to comply. It only takes a (relatively) small number of people practicing non-cooperation to make implementation of their fascist ideals impossible -- so let’s train one million. 

If we can motivate, train, and equip this movement in the practice of strategic non-cooperation, we can disrupt, delay, and even, at times, make it impossible for this administration to enact corrupt policy. 

We’re breaking this down into three sessions -- join us for all three if you can! (Yes, they’ll be recorded if you can’t.)

Learn more and register: https://indivisible.actionkit.com/mailings/view/118965

The Anti-Autocracy Handbook

"The Anti-Autocracy Handbook is a call to action, resilience, and collective defence of democracy, truth, and academic freedom in the face of mounting authoritarianism. ...

"To this end, it sets out how autocracies often follow a common playbook, built around the '3 Ps': populism, polarization, and post-truth. ...

"The handbook also sets out a framework for action based on personal risk level—low, medium, high, or extreme."

###

Watch for "election reform" coming next, per former Trump operative Lev Parnas. Plans include restricting early and mail-in voting, revising voter eligibility requirements, installing MAGA election officials, using the new Trump goon squad to intimidate voters, criminalizing voter education and registration, giving Trump more power over elections, and more.

The Brennan Center for Justice explains P2025's plans for making elections less free and fair. Democracy Docket, a year ago, warned about the push to change how much dark PAC money can be spent, along with plans to open the floodgates to dis- and mis-information, and to use the Department of Justice to remove voting rights protections.

Self-Evident

The Self-Evident Truths of Freedom—and of Tyranny

Twenty-seven truths about America, our Democracy and Rule of Law, and our rights, freedoms, and liberties by Judge J Michael Luttig. July 2, 2025.

Watch the interview.

The end.

 

Bonus - Trump's private army wins the gold.

"With this vote, Congress makes ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency in history, with more money per year at its disposal over the next four years than the budgets of the FBI, DEA, ATF, US Marshals, and Bureau of Prisons combined." - Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow, American Immigration Council. Learn more here: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/house-reconciliation-bill-immigration-border-security/

Plastic Free July

 

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. 

WHY? 

Plastic is mostly made from fossil fuels. The entire plastic production process is polluting and unhealthy, especially for communities of color as this Sierra Club article, Plastic's Influence on Environmental Racism, explains. 

Plastics generated 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 – that’s 3.4 per cent of the world’s total emissions, a number that is set to grow considerably as the production of plastics is expected to triple by 2060, according to this United Nations report, Plastics – fueling oil demand, climate change and pollution.

Plastic is choking our oceans. According to Sir David Attenborough, “We dump eight million tonnes of plastic into the sea every year”. It’s killing and harming marine life including turtles who eat plastic bags mistaking them for jellyfish, seabirds who mistake plastic for food and feed plastic to their young, all sea creatures who become entangled and trapped in plastic debris, coral reefs, and foundational animals like plankton which consume microplastics that transfer to predators including humans. This World Wildlife Fund article gives more details.

Plastic ends up polluting farmland, according to this NRDC report, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. “We are, unfortunately, confirming that yes, agricultural soils are a hot spot of plastic contamination,” says Luca Nizzetto, a researcher with the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, who coauthored an op-ed about the issue in 2016 for Environmental Science and Technology. According to the op-ed, as much as 300,000 tons of microplastics end up on North American farmlands each year.

Microplastics are suspected of helping drive increasing cancer rates among young people, as reported in this article from the University of California-San Francisco.

Plastic is burying the Earth. Much less than 10 percent of plastic is recycled. Most ends up in our oceans and waterways, in landfills, or being incinerated and likely releasing toxic chemicals into our air. Read this Earth.com article, Plastic pollution is changing the entire Earth system.

HOW?

If you have a choice, don't buy plastic and don't buy things wrapped in plastic.  Tell the seller or business that you want less plastic packaging. If you are able, bring your own glass, paper (but watch out - it might be contaminated with PFAS or coated with plastic!) or metal container and refill it (we have options including bulk food sections at grocery stores and places like Larson's General.)

Plastic bags, even if they might get recycled (but probably they won't), are not needed and easily replaced with other options. If you must use a plastic bag, use it many times. This National Geographic article digs into the pros and cons of different choices.  

Don't use plastic to store, heat, or cook food, including plastic tools and non-stick cookware.

Do not use, buy, or distribute single use plastic bottled water. There's a whole world of problems with bottled water, not the least of which is the plastic pollution this unnecessary habit has caused, but also including research showing the product is often pre-polluted with plastic particles and PFAS. Visit The Story of Bottled Water for more information. 

Synthetic fibers in our clothes and housewares, including polyester, nylon, acrylic, and recycled plastic, degrade into the environment. Laundering them releases millions of microplastics particles into our water. Prefer natural fibers when possible. 

Teabags may be releasing microplastics into the tea and water. This site tests and lists plastic in tea: https://www.implasticfree.com/why-you-should-switch-to-plastic-free-tea-bags/

Keurig cups pollute. Stop using them. Find an alternative. Tell the company to stop. 

Plastic foodware releases particles when used and may be contaminated with PFAS and contributes to the pollution and harm caused to sea and land animals. Use metal, ceramic, or glass for food storage and consumption. Even some "green" foodware, like paper plates and cups, may have plastic coating that contains PFAS. See more from the Center for Environmental Health.

Find alternatives that don't require plastic. Bar soap and shampoo don't need a plastic bottle full of water. Metal, reusable straws and foodware can easily replace plastic. Mix up your own cleaning supplies. 

Speak up in your community. Tell your fav third space you want reusable foodware and no bottled water. Tell your local government to install public water stations and water-filling stations. If you can (in Wisconsin, we cannot thanks to our Republican overlords), work for a ban on plastic containers like shopping bags, foam foodware, and bottled water. If you can't discourage their use wherever you can. Tell your neighbors, friends, family, and colleagues.

There are many more reasons to avoid plastic. Learn more from Viroqua Plastic Free. 

Check out this Island Press free e-book, A POISON LIKE NO OTHER: How Microplastics Corrupted our Planet and our Bodies by Matt Simon. Visit this link: https://mailchi.mp/islandpress/summer-read-poison-simon-announcement

Call Ron Johnson NOW

From Citizens Climate Lobby:

The Senate, with its Republican majority, will begin voting on the final version of its reconciliation bill (President Trump's "One, Big, Beautiful Bill") on Monday, June 30. The Senate version phases out America’s clean energy tax credits and introduces a new tax that “…would penalize future (wind and solar) developments…” This bill will severely impact U.S. clean energy projects and the reduction of carbon emissions. It's bad news for the climate and for Americans.

The proposed tax cuts would:

• Spike household energy costs over the next decade.
• Cut hundreds of thousands of proposed jobs in industries like construction and manufacturing.
• Increase our climate pollution while decreasing our energy security.
• Reduce U.S. GDP as a result of fewer clean energy manufacturing and construction projects.
• And the new tax on future solar and wind developments would be a major blow to America’s fastest-growing energy sources.

If you are a Wisconsin resident, call Republican Senator Ron Johnson TODAY. Give your name and address and tell him you care about our environment, the climate, and a clean energy future. And tell him to vote NO on the One, Big, Beautiful Bill (which is not beautiful at all). Thank you!

Call (202) 224-5323

###

###

From Indivisible:

The bill—the basics:

• A $3.8 trillion extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, which overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy.
• Nearly $700 billion in Medicaid cuts, which could cause 8.6 million people to lose coverage.
• $267 billion in cuts to SNAP (food stamps)—kicking 3 million families off assistance and jeopardizing school meals for 18 million children.
• A massive increase in defense spending, plus over $100 billion for Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
• Defunding of Planned Parenthood, via a ten-year block on Medicaid reimbursements.
• Elimination of several clean energy tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Over $300 billion in cuts to student loan programs, including repeals of Biden-era income-driven repayment and forgiveness efforts.
• An extension of the debt ceiling, likely into 2027.

The richest Americans—those making $1 million or more—would get nearly $90,000 in tax breaks each year while low income Americans will actually lose money because of cuts to essential services and a very small tax break, just over $350 per year.

Read more here: https://indivisiblenwi.org/2025/06/budget-reconciliation-bill-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/

July 1 Stop the Billionaire Giveaway

 

Tuesday, July 1•11:00 AM to noon

Burns Park• 701 Main St, La Crosse

From June 21 to July 14, the Stop the Billionaire Giveaway Bus Tour is traveling coast to coast to say: no more free rides for billionaires!

Corporations and the ultra-wealthy have already rigged the tax code to pay as little as possible while working people foot the bill. Now the budget bill making its way through Congress will gut lifeline programs for working families just to give billionaires another massive tax breaks.

More details: https://actionnetwork.org/events/the-stop-the-billionaire-giveaway-bus-tour-la-crosse-wisconsin

Really Really Free

 

From Sharable: A Really Really Free Market (RRFM) is a community gathering where participants give away usable items, skills, food, entertainment, games and many others things that a community can come together and share.

Coulee DSA hosts one in La Crosse, 

RRFM Rules:

• No littering/abandoning anything at the park!
• If you bring something with you, and no one takes it, you must take it back home with you.
• Items that are to be given away should be placed on a blanket or table.

There are other sharing economy examples like Freecycle, an online Offer-Request site, and La Crosse Community Victory Gardens, where food is free for the picking.

Stop this bill

From Indivisible

Republicans are racing to pass their tax scam bill that includes massive cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential programs, but they’re still fighting internally about the content of the bill: some are hesitant about making such big cuts to Medicaid, some want even deeper cuts. And that’s left Republican leaders Johnson and Thune scrambling to balance the demands from all the different sides of their caucus. 

So the more drawn out and painful that Democrats can make the fight, the less likely they’ll be able to actually pass a bill. And Democrats will have the opportunity to do so, including during vote-a-rama when they can  introduce endless amendments to postpone the Senate vote on passage of the bill. 

Call Tammy Baldwin (202-224-5653) and tell her you want her and her fellow senators to do everything in their power to delay and disrupt the budget reconciliation process. Remind her that they can still take action now to defeat the tax scam bill. 

This Common Dreams article provides more details about the awful bill.

Ride With Mayor postponed

The ride with the mayor planned for Thursday, June 26 has been postponed to July 31 because of severe weather expected on 6/26.

Budget input

No thanks to the Byzantine city website, but thanks to dedicated public servants, we can share information to help you find out about what's in the budget pipeline for 2026 and how to have public input at the very tail end of the process when the decisions have been pretty much already been made. 

Here are the links to the summary and detailed budgets.

• 2026-2030 Capital Project Summary Report CPC DRAFT 6-2-25
• 2026-2030 Capital Project Detailed Report CPC DRAFT 6-2-25

The City Plan Commission (CPC) public hearing is on Monday, June 30 at 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

There will be one last chance for public input at the Finance & Personnel (F&P) meeting on August 7 at 6 p.m. at the Council Chambers. Then the final budget will go before the Council (no public input) for a vote on August 14 at 6 p.m.

Updated information: People can come to F&P or CPC for public hearing or write in to the City Clerk (cityclerk@cityoflacrosse.org) to make their comments.

The process of trying to find this info reminded me of one of my favorite TED Talks - Dave Meslin talking about The Antidote to Apathy. 

This week - Connect, Learn & Feed Back

There are several events and programs this week that will inform us and ask for our input.

June 23

Zoning Code 101 - 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Firat Congregational Church, Losey & Main Street (#4 bus). Join Bluffside and Grandview Emerson Neighborhood Association for a night of Zoning Code 101. All are welcome! Learn what zoning is, how it impacts the community, and why it matters. 

June 24

Coulee Region Sierra Club Summer Potluck for Friends & Members. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Goose Island Shelter 3. Seek or add a ride to the Carpool: https://groupcarpool.com/t/iv3yuq Join your environmental friends in community and conversation. Bring some food to share, a beverage, and your own foodware. We'll reconnect, talk about environmental issues, share ideas, and learn what we can do together. ALL are welcome.

June 25

Community Forum - Focus on Medicaid. 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Clearly Alumni and Friends Center, La Crosse St & East Avenue (#4 bus) and online. Our Voter Services team seeks to help area residents understand the broad impacts expected by Congressional budget actions affecting Medicaid members and providers. The even5 will offer attendees factual (nonpartisan) information, an opportunity to share their stories and concerns, and actionable suggestions on ways the community can direct concerns to local decision makers. 

June 26

Ride with the Mayor. 9 a.m. to noon. Start at City Hall lot, 400 La Crosse Street. The event is free and open to the public. ...bring a bicycle, helmet, and water bottle. No registration is required. If you would like to participate but need a bike, please reach out to the contact information above and we will work to provide a Drift Cycle bike for your use. The route will include bike challenges, and new and planned bike projects on La Crosse's north side.

Grow Solar La Crosse Solar Power Hour. Holmen Library. 5:30 p.m. OHWS Shared Ride Transit). Grow Solar is a solar group-buying and education program that makes going solar easier. Offered by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, the cities of Onalaska and La Crosse, and La Crosse County, property owners in La Crosse county can pool their buying power to secure significant discounts that make installing solar more affordable.

PFAS Briefing - Drinking Water Regulations and Cleanups. Online. Staying on top of the legal and policy developments in the PFAS arena is no small task. As a special service to our [Environmental Law Institute] members, the Environmental Law Institute provides a series of webinars with authors of the PFAS Deskbook, James Pollack and Isabel Carey, and national experts on PFAS to keep you up to date, answer your questions, and highlight a unique topic related to PFAS during each session. As a courtesy, ELI has made this installment of the PFAS Briefings available to the public at no charge.

EMERGENCY NO WAR PROTEST

Bring signs, water, sunscreen, and energy. Use the shade trees as needed. 

UPDATE: apologies. I was given inaccurate information.

No War

Timothy Snyder reminds us

Five things to remember about war:

1. Many things reported with confidence in the first hours and days will turn out not to be true

2. Whatever they say, the people who start wars are often thinking chiefly about domestic politics

3. The rationale given for a war will change over time, such that actual success or failure in achieving a named objective is less relevant than one might think

4. Wars are unpredictable

5. Wars are easy to start and hard to stop

AOC notes

"The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment."

+++

At least sixty members of Congress have signed to support the House or the Senate  War Powers Resolution or the No War Against Iran Act, including Sen. Baldwin. Call and thank her. (202-224-5653)

Call the others and demand that they do their jobs.

Van Orden: (202) 225-5506

Ron Johnson: (202) 224-5323

Call Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and demand something more than a strongly worded letter. (202-224-6542)

Call House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and demand action. (202-225-5936)

+++

Read War on Terror Nightmare Arrives As Trump Bombs Iran by Spencer Ackerman.

Saturday - Juneteenth

 

Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, the last group of slaves in the south were informed that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. In 2021, Juneteenth became a national U.S. holiday. 

Saturday, the La Crosse area will celebrate the history and highlight present day victories and challenges. This event is free and open to all.

The event will last from noon to 7 p.m. in Riverside Park. Dress for the weather! Bring your water bottle!

More details at: https://facebook.com/100083568422627/

What next?

From Indivisible:

As authoritarianism rises in America and across the globe, marginalized communities are being targeted at an alarming rate and pushed onto the front lines of the fight. This moment calls for solidarity.

That’s why Indivisible is launching a NEW speaker series to build sustainable, effective strategies for community support and advocacy. If you want to be a more effective ally to the communities authoritarianism harms most, our upcoming Solidarity in Action speaker series for you!

It all starts next Tuesday, June 24, when NYT bestselling author Heather McGhee and Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg team up for the series kick-off session: Training for Systemic Change and Allyship.

Just say VETO

From Citizen Action

Sign Up for the State Budget Day of Action Volunteer Phone Bank

Join us Tuesday, June 17 from 5 to 7:30 PM! We will be calling Wisconsin voters and ask them to be connected with Governor Tony Evers office to tell him to veto any state budget that fails to meet the basic needs of Wisconsinites! More details here: https://secure.everyaction.com/8JIA1EiF8kKth9WVyBtIbw2

TODAY! Virtual Juneteenth

From For Our Future WI

Voices of Freedom: A Juneteenth Storytelling Celebration is a community event that uplifts Black voices through stories of strength, heritage, and hope. Join us as we gather to reflect on the significance of Juneteenth, celebrate the power of storytelling, and connect with one another in a space dedicated to remembrance, resilience, and unity.

RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/forourfuturewi/event/798978/

Plant a forest

Volunteers needed!

Aditi Muduganti, a junior at Onalaska High School is hosting a community planting day on Saturday, June 21st, 2025 at Summit Environmental School for La Crosse's first Miyawaki forest!

Aditi received a grant from the La Crosse Youth Climate Action Fund (LYCAF) for her project, Roots & Rise: A Youth Pocket Forest. This is her second grant from LYCAF - last year she wrote a children's book on sustainable technology!

This project aims to restore native biodiversity and combat urban environmental degradation by planting a Miyawaki mini forest at Summit Environmental School. The Miyawaki method involves planting dense clusters of native tree species that grow rapidly, becoming self-sustaining in just around two years. These mini forests are ten times faster-growing and 30 times denser than conventional plantations, making them ideal for urban and suburban settings.

Please join us for this event on Saturday, June 21st, 2025 at Summit Environmental School!

Learn more about Miyawaki "pocket" forests here.

Tomorrow NO KINGS

 From Tasha

NEW INFO REGARDING SAFETY: The things that are happening in California should not be considered the norm for what responses look like. We have been working and coordinating with our city officials to make sure that it is safe.

*City officials are aware of the protest tomorrow and you will see squad cars drive around the perimeter of the protest specifically in case they need to pull over a vehicle for the black puff of smoke that we previously said could be considered assault. Please note that this information is INCORRECT, but that the individuals doing this can be fined and will be pulled over by police.

You were previously informed to sit down in the event of violence or property damage. This is INCORRECT.

IF VIOLENCE/PROPERTY DAMAGE OCCUR, PUT DOWN YOUR SIGNS AND HOLD HANDS TO ASSIST POLICE AND MEDIA IN SEEING THAT WE ARE ENGAGING IN PEACEFUL PROTEST AND EXERCISING OUR FIRST AMMENDMENT RIGHTS.*

For more details, sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/791634/

Bike with the Mayor!

Save the date and get your gear ready for a great opportunity to meet up with elected leaders and local bicycle advocates to take a tour of north La Crosse bike infrastructure, challenges, and possibilities. This event is sponsored by La Crosse's Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

RIDE WITH THE MAYOR

A ride on the northside

Thursday, June 26   🚲   9 a.m. to noon

Start at City Hall, 400 La Crosse Street 

Open to all, this ride will take participants from the 2nd Street cycle track north to bike greenways on Monitor and Avon, and on to the challenge of urban railroad tracks. The group will check out bike-ped considerations in the Renew the Block project and see a Drift Cycle bike share station, then experience Highway 35 (George Street) as it is and hear about what improvements might be coming. Riders will swing by Logan High and look at what improvements might be possible along Ranger Drive, and then head back to City Hall.

The ride is a total of about five miles, but there are several stops along the way and it's definitely not a race! There's no charge for the event and no RSVP. Show up and be ready to ride!

The event will be rescheduled in case of poor weather. Check back for updates. Please share the news and the beautiful flyer!

Public input, public info

There are several opportunities for the public to weigh in on upcoming projects and policy changes. If you can, please attend, weigh in, feed back.

The City of La Crosse is updating its zoning codes. This is a year+ project and the first round of public sessions is happening now. There will be a public information session on June 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, Main & Losey (accessible by #4 bus). You can get more information about the project at ForwardLaCrosse.org. There is also an online survey. Fill it out for a chance to win a prize. Survey ends on June 30.

The Wisconsin DOT (WisDOT) is doing several corridor studies and they are seeking public input. Areas affected include Highway 35 (La Crosse Street) from West Avenue to 7th Street and Highways 14/61 and 53. 

The next public meeting on Highways 14/61 and 53 will be on Wednesday, July 16 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Black River Beach Center. If you cannot attend, you can get more information about the projects, view past public input sessions and materials, and find links to submit input at https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/533516-lacrosse/us53us1461-pi.aspx

 

The City of La Crosse has several committee openings. Committee membership is usually limited to residents of the city. This is an opportunity to help bring ideas to the city and have more input. Learn more here: https://www.cityoflacrosse.org/your-government/mayor/serving-on-a-committee

La Crosse County also has various citizen committees and invites people to self-nominate. You can find the form at https://www.lacrossecounty.org/countyboard/want-to-become-a-committee-member

 

BUDGETING WISCONSIN'S ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURE

Thursday, June 12 at 6 p.m. Online 

The Wisconsin Chapter Sierra Club is hosting an online program about  Budgeting Wisconsin's Environmental Future at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 12. 

Wisconsin's state budget determines so much that we care about, from parks funding to transportation projects to clean water initiatives. But how is the budget created? Who makes the decisions? What are some of the missed opportunities in recent budgets that could be included in this one? Join this webinar to learn the answers and to take action on the budget with other environmentalists.

Event agenda:

• Welcome
• State budget overview: Who creates the state budget and what is the process? What do we expect to happen next and how can advocates engage in the process?
• Clean drinking water programs update & action
• Transit operating funds update & action
• Wildlife programs & action
• Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund update & action
• Review actions you can take and key legislators who need to hear from you!

Bring: A digital picture of an outdoor place you love. We will use this to create postcards to send to legislators.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/wisc-2527envbdgt

Coming soon No Kings

Another reminder that La Crosse will demonstrate our opposition to authoritarian, unaccountable, undemocratic rule. Hope you can attend!

NO KINGS - LA CROSSE

JUNE 14 - NOON TO 2 P.M.

LOSEY & STATE ROAD

Remember, this is a PEACEFUL protest. Do not be provoked by or engage with those trying to draw you into an argument or fight. Walk away, turn away, help others disengage. 

Know your rights. Stay aware  Care for each other. Don't engage with agitators. Document everything. Stay within the law. Bring love and community, not fear.

and

Kick Out the Clowns

Community Block Party

June 15 - Noon to 2 p.m.

Riverside Park

Juneteenth

 

From the Rivoli: 

In celebration of Juneteenth join us for a one night only screening of Marvel's Black Panther on Thursday, July 19 at 7:45 p.m. 

Tickets are $5 each and all profits will be donated to B.L.A.C.K. La Crosse. Get tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/junteenthblkpnthr25

AND

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

NOON TO 7 P.M.

RIVERSIDE PARK

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION

Join organizations and nonprofits in the La Crosse area to celebrate Juneteenth 2025.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, the last group of enslaved people, in Galveston, Texas, learned on June 19, 1865,  that the war had ended and that they were free.

For more information and to sign up to volunteer, please visit the La Crosse Juneteenth Facebook page: https://facebook.com/100083568422627/

Cap Times Idea Fest

Cap Times Idea Fest, Sept. 8 - 13, Madison 

Idea Fest 2025 tickets are on on sale now! Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be the keynote speaker on Friday, Sept. 12, preceded by New Yorker journalist Evan Osnos. Tickets for those sessions are available now, as are others to see Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Eugene Robinson for our Celebration of Journalism on Sept. 11. Tickets for that session include admission to all other festival events. We’ll be making more single-day tickets for those available soon!

Volunteers needed!!

Several volunteer opportunities are coming up this month. Here are a few. Help out if you can! Use the comment form to send more ideas!

THIS WEEKEND!  The Nature Place is hosting a paid parking fundraiser for the WIAA State Track meet this Friday, June 6th, and Saturday, June 7th! We need to have at least 15 volunteers EACH day. Each volunteer shift is 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. They prefer people who can commit to the whole time but will work with you if you can't. Training provided. Will be giving directions, accepting payments (including helping with Venmo payments), selling stuff, handing out lit. Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/mDCCroW

JUNE 15. Volunteers are needed to help out at the Kick Out The Clowns Community Block Party from noon to 2 p.m. at Riverside Park. Sign up here: https://action.womensmarch.com/events/la-crosse-wi-kick-out-the-clowns-end-the-greatest-shit-show-on-earth

JUNE 21.   Volunteer to help out at JUNETEENTH from noon to 7 p.m. at Riverside Park. Shifts vary - help with set up, run games, provide info, maintain the food area, help with entertainment, and more. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4CA9A92DA3F8C34-56195388-lacrosse

Juneteenth Bike Parking Corral - Need one or two people between 2 and 7 p.m. Easy and green! Email CRSierraClub@gmail.com or call 608-315-2693 to sign up! Make your own shift!

Help plant a "Pocket Forest!" A high school student's Youth Climate Action Fund grant project is a demonstration Miyawaki Forest that will be planted at Summit Environmental School on French Island on Saturday, June 21. Use the contact form to ask for more details. 

Act now before it's too late!

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act included amazing incentives and supports to move businesses, governments, non-profits, and individuals toward clean, renewable energy. Credits and incentives were set to expire, in most cases, in the next decade, but the Trump regime and its sycophants in Congress have other ideas. Some of these credits may end this year or next. So, if you care about the ever-worsening climate crisis, if you want to save money or ditch the fossil fuel industry as much as possible, act now before these incentives are cancelled.

Grow Solar is a solar group buy program for those in La Crosse County run by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. Have a solar site assessment and learn the cost of installing solar. The group buy reduces the solar panel price to make it more affordable. In addition, federal credits and rebates are still in effect that can reduce the price of your project even more. Pay back times vary, but the price of electricity continue to rise. The solar credits are expected to end this year if our Republican overlords have their way. Now is the time to take the plunge. 

Attend a Solar Power Hour info session:

• In-Person Solar Power Hour: Tuesday, June 4th at 5:30PM, at the People’s Food Co-op. Co-Hosted by the City of La Crosse and La Crosse County. REGISTER HERE
• In-Person Solar Power Hour: Thursday, June 26th at 5:30pm at the Holmen Library. Co-Hosted by La Crosse County. REGISTER HERE
• In-Person Solar Power Hour: Thursday, July 15th at 5:30pm at the Onalaska City Hall. Co-Hosted by La Crosse County. REGISTER HERE
• In-Person Solar Power Hour: Thursday, August 7th at 5:30pm at the Nature Place. Co-Hosted by the City of La Crosse and La Crosse County. REGISTER HERE

Still need more convincing? Check out the 2023 Solar La Crosse Tour web site to see a sample of the variety of installations already in our area. Email us if you would like to chat with those who have already gone solar!

Another great program, this one for City of La Crosse residents, is a city partnership with Green Homeowners United, as part of the La Crosse Climate Action Plan. The program helps identify those who are eligible for income-based Focus on Energy credits. Eligible homeowners and landlords will receive

• free home energy assessment
• free on-the-spot energy upgrades like free sealing, LED lights, and HVAC duct sealing
• up to $25,000 worth of additional grants to cover more sealing and insulating, electrification of heating system, and electrical service upgrades

Those already receiving assistance like WHEAP, Medicaid, SNAP, etc. are automatically eligible. Others may qualify by income.

Monthly gross income limits (in most cases, Line 9 of 2024 1040):

• One person = $55,100
• Two people = $63,000
• Three people= $70,850
• Four people = $78,700
• Five people = $85,000

See the FoE eligibility page for more information.

To see if you are eligible, visit the program website. Act now - some credits may end soon!

Coming in September: applications will open for another round of Solar for Good grants funded by the Couillard Solar Foundation and administered though RENEW Wisconsin. "Through a generous partnership with the Couillard Solar Foundation, RENEW Wisconsin awards grant funding or solar panels to nonprofit organizations, helping them switch to clean, renewable, solar energy. ... RENEW Wisconsin prioritizes organizations that work in the areas of social justice, low-income communities, people of color, children or seniors, rural Wisconsin, education, and new technology or innovation."