Making Democracy Work
Learn more about the League's advocacy and policy positions and how YOU can take action!
This position is interpreted by the LWVUS to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression. At the LWVUS Convention in June, 2010, this position was amended to include marriage equality, the ability of two people of the same sex to marry.
On Friday, August 10th, our guest column, "Buncombe Deserves Better" was featured in the Asheville-Citizen Times. A must read for anyone concerned about equality or transparency issues in Buncombe County.
This 2011 NC Legislative Session Report Card, produced by the North Carolina Women United coalition, shows little progress on improving women's status; highlights major setbacks in improving access to health care and equality.
The Legislative Report Card for 2011 reflects legislative priorities that are key to promoting women's equality.
The League of Women Voters wholeheartedly supports this important piece of campaign finance reform legislation.
Already in this election cycle we have seen a slew of money from secret donors, corporations and special interests. If Congress does not act to clean up our election finance system, 2012 will be known as the year of the Super PAC, and voters will be deprived of the information they need to make informed decisions in this election.
The DISCLOSE 2012 Act is carefully crafted to require disclosure by outside groups of large campaign contributions and expenditures - those over $10,000 - and includes valuable "stand-by-your ad" provisions for ads run by such groups. It requires outside groups to certify that their spending is not coordinated with candidates and, very importantly, covers transfers of money among groups so that the actual sources of funds being spent to influence federal elections will be known. Most importantly, it would give voters the information they need to judge for themselves about the advertising and the candidates.
Send a message to your Senators. Tell them to put voters first. Just click here.
The League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County will continue to educate our community on the ACA and its pivotal impact on their lives and work to fully implement the law. Health care for all must be the goal as we expand coverage to millions of Americans and preserve the ACA's transformational reform.
Check out our response to the Supreme Court's ruling in a pivotal Montana campaign finance case here.
Positions result from a process of study. Any given study, whether it be National, State, or Local, is thorough in its pursuit of facts and details. As the study progresses, a continuing discussion of pros and cons of each situation occurs. Prior to the results of the study being presented to the general membership, study committee members fashion consensus questions that are then addressed by the membership.
Additional discussion, pro and con, takes place as members (not part of the study committee) learn the scope of the study. After the members reach consensus, the board forms positions based on that consensus.
It is the consensus statement -- the statement resulting from the consensus questions -- that becomes a position. Firm action or advocacy can then be taken on the particular issue addressed by the position. Without a position, action/advocacy cannot be taken.
The League of Women Voters promotes:
Universal voter registration and effective election laws
Fair, honest and open campaign practices
Protection of our natural resources and environmental quality
Responsible local, state and federal fiscal policies
Safe, affordable housing and child care
Women's issues
An effective criminal justice system
Fair and equitable taxes
Campaign finance reform, redistricting reform, voter-owned elections, & Instant Runoff Voting (IRV, also known as ranked choice voting)
A health care system that provides access to a basic level of quality care for all residents and controls health care costs. (The League supports the "single payer" approach.)
Abolition of the death penalty
The League of Women Voters supports equal rights for all under state and federal law and was active in opposing NC's Amendment One. The League supports legislation to equalize the legal rights, obligations, and benefits available to same- gender couples with those available to heterosexual couples. The League supports legislation to permit same- gender couples to marry under civil law.
These are just a few of our many issue positions! For more information about our issue positions, click here.
The League is also a member of a number of other wonderful coalitions, including but not limited to:
-North Carolinians for Redistricting Reform: http://www.ncredistrictingreform.com
-North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections: http://www.ncvce.org/
-North Carolina Conservation Network: http://www.ncconservationnetwork.org/
-North Carolina Women United: http://www.ncwu.org/
-North Carolina Women Matter: http://ncwomenmatter.org/
-Together NC: http://togethernc.org/
-NC Open Government Coalition: http://www.elon.edu/e-web/academics/communications/ncopengov/
-NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform: http://www.nclobbyreform.org/
-NC Coalition for a Moratorium (on the death penalty): http://www.ncmoratorium.org/