Advocacy

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Learn How Your Representatives are Voting
Action on Health Care Reform

Impact On Issues 2008-2010.  How Are Your Members of Congress Voting.  It is the Law: Health Care Reform.  Take Action Now - NC Voter-Owned Elections.  Positions for Action.

Impact On Issues 2008-2010

Impact On Issues 2008-2010 is the official statements of position for each of the League of Women Voters' program areas, briefly traces significant past actions and achievements, and indicates links among positions. The LWVUS public policy positions reflect the 2008-2010 program adopted by the 2008 convention of the League of Women Voters of the United States; the "positions in brief" listed there summarize the official statements of position included in this guide.

You can either order Impact on Issues, 82 pp., $7.00, ISBN 0-89959-466-8. PDF Version. 2009, Pub. No. 386. or download the pdf version of the document.

How Are Your Members of Congress Voting

• How Are Your Members of Congress Voting on Key Good Government Issues? One of the best ways to arm yourself for taking action on key issues is to understand how your elected officials have reacted to important legislation.
  

• LWV-NC 2009-2010 Legislative Updates
  

• Sign up to receive LWV-US Action Alerts directly by email. It's easy to sign up, and the League will never share your email with others.
  

• Contact your US Senators or your NC Senator

• Contact your US House of Representative or your NC Representative

It is the Law: Health Care Reform

Summary of the Health Care Reform Law prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non profit, non partisan foundation that focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation.

Health Care Reform Time Line created by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non profit, non partisan foundation that focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation.

Take Action Now - NC Voter-Owned Elections

We have an opportunity to expand Voted-Owned Elections for Council of State offices. Let your lawmakers know that the people of North Carolina want better government through Voter-Owned Elections.

Our House and Senate allies agreed to focus on passing S-966, "Expand Voter-Owned Elections for Council of State." But top leaders and your legislators need to know you want this bill to pass.

We must stop special-interest control of government. Right now, candidates who lead regulatory agencies (like the state Treasurer and Commissioner of Labor) get most of their campaign money from the very businesses their agencies contract with or regulate.

Voter-Owned Elections gives candidates an alternative: They can qualify for public campaign financing by first collecting lots of small donations from registered voters. VOE is working now for the Insurance Commissioner and two other Council of State offices, as well as for state judges. We must expand the program.

This proposal DOES NOT RAISE TAXES and does not depend on money from the General Fund. The VOE public fund is financed by a small fee on the regulated businesses -- basically, a user fee to enhance the integrity of the relevant state agency.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW to send a message to your legislators and Senate leaders. Let them know that Voter-Owned Elections provide a path to good government and are supported by their constituents!

Your NC Senator

Your NC Representative

Positions for Action

POSITIONS FOR ACTIONS

• Election and Campaign Finance Reform The cost of political advertising has skyrocketed in the past two decades and has played a major role in driving up the expense of political campaigns. In 2002, candidates, parties and issue groups spent approximately $1 billion on political ads. Escalating campaign costs drive out potential candidates and require those running for office to spend too much time raising money, too often from special interests.
  

  Watch LWVUS President Mary Wilson's testimony in a Congressional hearing on the US Supreme Court's recent decision in February 2010 removing the ban on corporate contributions to political campaigns.

  National Level, State Level
  

• Global Climate Change Global climate change is one of the most serious threats to the environment, health and economy of our nation and our world. With the U.S. Senate expected to take up legislation this spring, now is the time to let your Senators know that they should support strong action to control global warming.
  

  National Level
  

• Health Care Reform The League believes that quality, affordable health care should be available to all U.S. residents. Other U.S. health care policy goals should include the equitable distribution of services, efficient and economical delivery of care, advancement of medical research and technology, and a reasonable total national expenditure level for health care. Furthermore, the League believes that all Americans should have access to a basic level of care that includes the prevention of disease, health promotion and education, primary care (including prenatal and reproductive health), acute care, long-term care and mental health care.

  National Level , State Level, Local

• Immigration Reform
• Natural Resources/Environmental Policy Promote an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest by recognizing the interrelationships of air quality, energy, land use, waste management, and water resources. Promote high water quality standards through monitoring, watershed protection regulation, basin-wide water re- source planning, coastal water resource protection, and equitable financing.

  National Level, State Level
  

• Tax Reform The League believes that the federal tax system, taken as a whole, should be progressive, not proportional. Federal fiscal policy, according to the League, should provide for adequate and flexible funding of federal government programs through an equitable tax system that is progressive overall and that relies primarily on a broad-based income tax; responsible deficit policies; and a federal role in providing mandatory, universal, old-age, survivors, disability and health insurance.

National Level, State Level
• Redistricting The League supports legislative efforts to make the redistricting process more equitable by establishing an independent agency responsible for periodic reapportionment and redistricting. The 2008 legislative session will not take up this issue.

  State Level

RESOURCES

• LWVUS (Tips for Searching the LWVUS Website)and LWVNC for complete League national and state policies and issues.
• LWVODC On-line Citizen Guide for list of all of your local, county and state government representatives, their contact information, and description of the various local, county and governmental agencies and services.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 22, 2010 14:45 PDT.

© Copyright League of Women Voters of Orange-Durham-Chatham, North Carolina. All rights reserved.