Our Meeting Details

Next Meeting:

Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm CT 

End-of-Year Wrap-Up: Women Defending Democracy in Review

Hosted by WDD Steering Committee

Join our WDD Steering Committee as we reflect on our first year of Women Defending Democracy, celebrate our collective achievements and explore opportunities for growth. We want to get to know you, look ahead to next year’s topics and enjoy some holiday fun together!

Past Meetings:

Wednesday, November 19, 2025 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm CT 

From Insight to Impact: What’s Next for Women Defending Democracy on Gun Violence

Hosted by Co-Chairs Sarah Stephens & Monica Murphy 

MN Rep. Emma Greenman (HD63B), whose district includes Annunciation Church, graciously agreed to join us at WDD to speak about the legislative task force and what she anticipates for gun reform in the Minnesota State Legislature in 2026. We also welcomed Cathy Thom, LWVMN Advocacy Chair, to speak about the League’s efforts to make gun violence prevention a priority and how the LWVMN Observer & Lobby Corps works, along with Michelle Winter Hanson, Community Engagement Director for MN Moms Demand Action, who updated us on the increase of involvement since the Annunciation tragedy and discuss how we can further mobilize this effort across the state. 

Emma Greenman (MN State House, 63B): “It is a people-created problem, and people created problems can have people-created fixes.”

As a follow-up to our two previous WDD sessions on gun violence, our aim with this session was to equip our members and participants with clear, actionable next steps on how to get involved in driving meaningful results, and to ensure we can have a real impact on this important issue in Minnesota.

Here are some steps you can take:

• Cathy Thom recommends: “The biggest thing you can do right now is join our Lobby Corps.”

        Overview of  LWVMN Observer and Lobby Corps: here

   Join LWVMN Observer and Lobby Corps: 2026 OCLC sign-up form. 

• Join Moms Demand Action MN and become a volunteer here

• Write, email and call your state representatives to encourage them to vote for a ban on assault weapons. See our WDD Action Sheet. 

Here is the recording of the WDD Next Steps session: Zoom recording Passcode: 3&trVkLs

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm CT 

Guns, Governance, and Decency: Combating Political Radicalization in America

Special Guest: Ryan Busse, Author and Gun Control Advocate

We had an eye-opening session with special guest speaker Ryan Busse - former firearms executive who spent 25 years helping build one of the nation’s leading gun manufacturing companies and became a vocal critic of the industry’s role in right-wing radicalization. Busse documented that the industry’s aggressive marketing over the past two decades has played a central role in fueling a cultural and identity-based radicalism, warning that it poses a serious threat to our democracy. His presentation sparked an active and thought-provoking discussion among participants.

Part of that conversation referenced the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed in 2006, that shields gun manufacturers and sellers from liability when their firearms are used in crimes. See here. 

We’re deeply grateful to Ryan for his powerful and timely presentation, and to everyone who joined us in this vital conversation. We also want to thank Rachel Feldman, Associate Development Director for the Mid-Atlantic region at GIFFORDS, for joining the call and providing an insightful update on the legislative actions and lawsuits currently underway.

Ryan Busse, a native Montanan, is the author of Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America (2021), Busse draws on his insider experience to advocate for decency, responsible governance, and resistance to the forces of political radicalization. Busse was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Montana in 2024, is a noted public lands and conservation leader, and currently serves as a Senior Advisor at Giffords, a nonprofit that fights gun violence and advocates for responsible gun laws. He writes for national publications, speaks at major policy and civic events, has testified before Congress, and recently briefed the U.S. Senate on gun issues.

Part of the conversation referenced the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed in 2006, that shields gun manufacturers and sellers from liability when their firearms are used in crimes. See here. 

Here the recording of Ryan Busse’s presentation: here   Passcode: 2Bk^i?1t

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm CT 

A People-Centered Approach to Banning Assault Weapons 

Special Guest: Zach Lindstrom, Mayor of Mounds View, MN

This meeting hosted special guest Mayor Lindstrom of Mounds View, a lifelong gun owner and Second Amendment supporter who now supports banning assault-style weapons. He gained attention for his commentary in the Star Tribune, where he shares his personal journey to this position following the school shooting at Annunciation. Mayor Lindstrom is advocating for a Minnesota Constitutional Amendment banning assault weapons.

See Zach Lindstrom’s Commentary on September 9, 2025 in the Minnesota Star Tribune: Here

See this opinion piece from September 28, 2025 in the Minnesota Star Tribune: Why not treat guns as other countries have?  Submitted by Jane Lansing, Catherine Shreves and John Satorius.  Jane Lansing is chair of the League of Women Voters Reimagining Public Safety Committee. Catherine Shreves and John Satorius are co-chairs of Plymouth Congregational Church’s Reimagining Community Safety Group and LWVMpls members.

Here the recording of Zach Lindstrom’s presentation: here

Passcode: U$9%TWVy

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm CT 

The First Amendment: Five Freedoms That Shape Democracy

Special Guest: Karen Lundquist, Professor at the UofM Law School, Advocacy Chair LWVBloomington 

In this session, Karen guided us through a closer examination of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment, highlighting their protections, the limits set under the law, and the ways these rights are being eroded.

The First Amendment: Five Freedoms That Shape Democracy (PDF)

Recording of Karen Lundquist’s Session/ September 24  (Passcode: =2!skyPc)

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm CT

Incarceration Without Due Process - Part ll

Co-hosts: Alicia Gibson & Debby Magnuson

Incarceration without Due Process Presentation (PDF)

Recording of Incarceration without Due Process (Passcode: fz1GQ&jp )

In this WDD session, we revisited the topic of Incarceration Without Due Process by taking a closer look at the constitutional rights being eroded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We discussed in more detail what actions you can take if you find yourself witnessing or targeted in an ICE raid.

Incarceration Without Due Process Presentation (PDF)

Know Your RIghts: What to do if you are confronted with ICE (PDF)

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - Postponed due to the Annuniciation School & Church Shooting

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Maximizing Impact: How Constituents Can Most Effectively Defend Democracy

Special Guests: Amy Johnson Korba, Managing Outreach Director, and Jeff Lomonaco, Chief of Staff for US Senator Tina Smith (MN)

We were delighted to host a conversation with our special guests, Amy Johnson Korba and Jeff Lomonaco, Senior Staff for U.S. Senator Tina Smith. They shared insights from a representative’s perspective on how constituents can most effectively voice their concerns and engage with their elected officials.

Takeaways: How Constituents Can Most Effectively Defend Democracy (PDF)

A recording of the session is available upon request: office@lwvmpls.org.

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Incarceration Without Due Process

Co-hosts: Alicia Gibson & Debby Magnuson

Our third Women Defending Democracy (WDD) session focused on the rapidly escalating threats to democratic rights posed by the unchecked expansion of the Department of Homeland Security. We discussed alarming developments such as masked ICE agents operating without visible identification, DHS defying court rulings, and an administration-driven goal of arresting 3,000 immigrants per day while significantly increasing detention capacity in profit-driven private prisons. Expanded expedited removal policy now enables authorities to deport individuals nationwide, often to foreign facilities, without providing a hearing.  

Our TAKE ACTION recommendation is to contact your City Council and State Legislators to pass legislation prohibiting the indiscriminate use of masking in law enforcement, support the Dignity Act of 2025—a proposed federal law promoting humane treatment and accountability in immigration enforcement—and learn what steps you can take if you find yourself in an ICE raid.

Link to Incarceration Without Due Process presentation (PDF)                                

Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Advocacy Training
Host: Kitty Westin

As part of our LWVMpls Women Defending Democracy Initiative, we were thrilled to offer an Advocacy Training session with longtime advocate Kitty Westin. Kitty is the former President of the League of Women Voters of Minneapolis, one of the founders of the Eating Disorders Coalition, and a driving force behind the passage of Anna Westin Act (2015). She brings decades of experience in civic engagement and advocacy, and shares our deep commitment to protecting our democratic institutions.

Link to Kitty's presentation (YouTube)

Kitty’s Presentation (PDF) 

Wednesday, July 2, 2025
One Big Beautiful Bill (HR 1)
Co-hosts: Meg Walters & Lisa Mills

With a looming July 4th deadline for passage, the proposed legislation aimed to make sweeping changes that could seriously harm many Americans. It provides for significant tax cuts for the wealthy while imposing severe cuts to programs that assist lower-income Americans, such as Medicaid and SNAP (food stamps). It threatens to roll back environmental protections, create barriers to affordable healthcare (ACA) and cut funding for education. Additionally, it allocates billions of dollars to expand Homeland Security and ICE operations. We discussed these issues and more in our session.

Thursday, June 26, 2025

SAVE Act Postcard Writing Day
Big Hill Books

405 Penn Ave S.

Mpls, MN 55405

Our first in-person WDD meet-up! We gathered to share our recent actions, connect with one another, and write postcards to our representatives. Postcards are provided by the LWVMpls. This is a great opportunity to build community, take action together, and meet fellow WDD participants. 

Wednesday, June 18, 2025
SAVE Act (HR 22)
Co-hosts: Sarah Stephens & Monica Murphy

At our first meeting, participants learned what the SAVE Act proposes and why it threatens voting rights and to upend our current voting system. They shared their concerns and questions in a guided group discussion. A range of collective and individual actions were shared  using templates and guidelines from the LWVUS Unite & Rise Tool Kit. Participants learned how to track their efforts using the WDD Action Sheet and Tracking Form.