Wednesday - get political

AFSCME Members to Hold La Crosse Accountability Action at 4 p.m. on April 1 near La Crosse Human Services, 300 4th St. N. 
(Corner of 4^th and Vine Streets)

Call on Rep. Derrick Van Orden to Stand with Working People

AFSCME members and community allies will gather outside La Crosse Human Services on Wednesday, April 1, to call on Rep. Derrick Van Orden to stop backing policies that make life harder for working people and put vital public services at risk.

Working families across western Wisconsin are already stretched thin by the rising cost of health care, groceries, child care and other essentials. AFSCME members say proposals that cut public services and weaken the support families rely on only deepen the strain, all while the wealthy and well connected keep getting more.

Folks, including passersby, will be invited to write what has gotten too expensive for them on signs.

AND

Join Citizen Action Wisconsin for an online program about DATA CENTERS at 6 p.m.

MUST REGISTER FOR LINK!

Join community members from across Wisconsin for a virtual town hall on data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and rising utility bills.

Large technology companies want to build massive data centers in Wisconsin to power artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. These facilities use huge amounts of electricity and water, sometimes as much power as a small city. To supply that demand, utilities are proposing new power plants and expensive grid upgrades. If there are no protections in place, families and small businesses could end up paying for this through higher utility bills.

Data centers can also increase pollution, strain local water supplies, and slow progress on climate goals, creating risks for our health, our environment, and our communities.

State Representatives will join this conversation to hear directly from residents about concerns related to electricity costs, water use, transparency, and community impacts.

Read more and register at https://secure.ngpvan.com/_H8eYZAOWUypCTOwMsQo8g2#!

Stop the Cave!

From Indivisible:

Thirty-nine days into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, Republicans are in their weakest position. There’s mayhem at airports across the country and voters are rightfully putting the blame on them. After all, they’re in charge of everything -- and all of this could have been avoided if they’d agreed to basic restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol.

Under immense pressure, they were ready to strike a deal to separate out and approve TSA funding (as Dems have tried to do for weeks) and get airport security agents back to work. Trump reportedly killed the deal -- and then added to the political (and safety) nightmare by putting ICE in airports.

This is the moment for Democrats to press their advantage and demand Republicans break with a flailing president whose approval rating is plummeting to near-January 6 levels. They have the moral and political highground to push forward a deal to rein in ICE and Border Patrol -- or at least force through TSA funding while those negotiations continue.

Instead, right now, there’s a chance Democrats could fully cave and back a new "deal" struck by Trump and Republican senators to fund Border Patrol and some ICE operations -- potentially without any reforms.

We need to flood Democratic phonelines today to demand they do not accept any deal that gives ICE and Border Patrol more money to terrorize our communities, or fails to implement serious reforms.

CALL YOUR DEM SENATOR

We do not know all the details of the deal yet. But knowing it includes more funding for Border Patrol and ICE -- which already has the budget of a national army -- is enough to confidently reject it out of hand.

If this deal goes through, it will be a historic capitulation by the Democratic caucus that will allow ICE and Border Patrol's lawless brutality to continue. Any senator who votes for such a deal will be as responsible as Trump and Stephen Miller for the terror, violence, and death unleashed by those masked thugs using our taxpayer dollars.

As of writing, we have not seen any Dems pledge to support the proposal, but some Democrats have already voiced cautious support. We need to nip that in the bud immediately.

There’s no time to waste. Call your Democratic Members of Congress now and tell them to reject this deal.

No Kings Saturday

Taking a bit of a break for a couple of weeks, but be sure to show up for NO KINGS at Losey & State Road from noon to 2 p.m.

Zoning Workshop March 18 & April 27

 

Zoning Code Update – Joint Common Council/City Plan Commission Workshop March 18 & April 27
5 to 7 at the Black River Beach Center

Learn more here: https://forwardlacrosse.org/events/zoning-code-update-joint-common-council-city-plan-commission-workshop-march-18-2026/

Powwow Saturday

 

Ho-Chunk Nation Founders Day Pow Wow. 

Saturday from 11 to 10 at the La Crosse Center. 

Free. Everyone is welcome. Go. (Take the bus.)

Canvassing/Postcards for Supreme Court

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin & For Our Future Wisconsin are doing GOTV (Get Out The Vote) canvassing (going door to door with literature and/or talking points) for Chris Taylor for Wisconsin Supreme Court. Wisconsin Conservation Voters is looking for volunteers to write and mail postcards for Taylor (cards, script, instructions , and stamps provided). 

Maybe things have changed after a year of the  trumpocalypse, but in the past, it was the unfortunate fact that many voters skip non-presidential elections, even very important ones that decide issues like who will sit on our state Supreme Court.

The open seat is currently held by conservative Rebecca Bradley (the whiner), originally a Scott Walker appointee, whose term expires in 2026. She is not running again. Supreme Court terms are 10 years long.

Chris Taylor was an attorney and policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin before she served nearly a decade in the Wisconsin State Assembly. As a representative, she uncovered and reported on the work the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was doing to push right wing bills through the Wisconsin legislature. In 2020, Taylor was appointed to the Dane County Circuit Court, and she was elected to the state Court of Appeals in 2023.

The other candidate was a private Milwaukee-area attorney until Scott Walker hired her to work in the state Department of Justice where she was a prominent defender of his anti-worker, anti-abortion, anti-labor, anti-voter agenda. In 2015 she was elected to the Circuit Court in Waukesha County. In 2022, she was elected to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

You can read more about the candidates at the League of Women Voters' Vote 411 website.

La Crosse canvassing for Chris Taylor will be on March 18 at 4 p.m. (sign up here) and on March 23 at 3 p.m. (sign up here). Usually canvassers are sent to visit with people who are likely to vote for your candidate but may need an extra push and a little moe information to actually vote.

To get postcards or info about hosting a Card Party, go ASAP to https://secure.ngpvan.com/SxgGTqND0ku053kchgAGQw2

Absentee-in-person voting begins on Tuesday, March 24 for the April 7 election. Learn about City of La Crosse absentee voting here (hours shown below) and about La Crosse County voting here.

EVERYONE HAS TO VOTE. No excuses. If you aren't registered but have a current Wisconsin driver's license or official ID, you can register online. If you don't have those documents, you can start your registration online and complete it with your clerk. You can register on election day, too, but why wait?

Even if you are registered, look yourself up to be sure you are still on the list. Every state purges its voter rolls on a regular basis and sometimes valid voters are removed. Wisconsin purged more than 192,000 people in 2025.

Voting absentee-in-person is encouraged. You go when it fits your schedule. You don't have to rely on mailing an absentee ballot that may not make it to its destination or voting on election day when you might be sick or very busy or your cat or kid might be sick or weather may be bad. Voting early also leaves election day free for you to help at the polls, give rides to voters, or help with a candidate's GOTV effort. The City Clerk's office is in City Hall which is accessible using the #4 and #6 buses. (MTU buses are free on April 7.)

If you are registered but have moved or changed your name you may have to update your registration. Look yourself up at MyVote WI.gov to find out if your registration is current, what's on your ballot, where to vote, and more. You maybe be able to update your registration, if needed, at this site.

You will need to provide a photo ID when you vote or if you request an absentee ballot. Acceptable photo ID is listed here.

Meet the Candidates

 

LA CROSSE COUNTY BOARD CANDIDATE OPEN HOUSE

March 14 at the Cleary Center, UWL (East Ave. & La Crosse St) - take the #4 bus!

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Districts 1-15

1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Districts 16-30

The La Crosse Civic Engagement Coalition invites you to a County Board Candidate Open House on Saturday, March 14. Districts 1-15 will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Districts 16-30 will be 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Find your district with this map.

Saturday, Protest DVO CANCELED and more

PROTEST DVO - Saturday, March 7

CANCELED

AND

Peace Vigil

March 15

4:00 - 4:45 p.m.

Mary of the Angels Chapel

701 Franciscan Way

(and online)

From Franciscan Sisters: "During this tumultuous time in the Middle East and Iran, we hear Pope Leo when he says, "Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons which sow destruction ... but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue."

AND

NO KINGS III

Saturday, March 28 - Noon to 2

State Road & Losey

From La Crosse Indivisible: "The Dems County office will be available to use for bathrooming, signs and dropping off monetary and food donations for the Hmong community: fish sauce, curry paste, sticky rice, glass noodles, coconut milk, oyster sauce, and soy sauce."

Sign Up (OPTIONAL) here: https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/906210/

Stuff is happening

MARCH 3 - INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY CELEBRATION from 5 to 7 at UWL Student Union and online. 

MARCH 6 - Cia Siab, Inc. RICE PANTRY at the Hmoob Cultural & Community Agency, Ward & South Ave., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Volunteer (sign up here: https://bit.ly/Volunteer4RicePantry) or pick up a bag of rice and learn about support available. Questions? Contact Julia at julia@ciasiabinc.org or 608-615-7117

 

March 13 - Western Technical College E-Waste Recycling event AND Community Clothing Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lot H (8th & Badger). 

MARCH 14 - 3RD ANNUAL HO-CHUNK NATION FOUNDERS DAY POWWOW from noon to 5 p.m. at the La Crosse Center.

 

MARCH 17 - LA CROSSE SOUP AT THE WEBER CENTER 5:30 p.m.