Making Democracy Work

Action and Advocacy

We are truly a grassroots organization...

League of Women Voters of the Elgin Area

The League of Women Voters of the Elgin Area is focused on the following issues for the 2005/2006 calendar year:

Growth -- Continue to review the impact of expansion on the existing city of Elgin.

Affordable Housing -- Continue to review the availability of affordable housing.

U46 -- Review of the boundary changes for School District U-46.

Mental Health Care -- Monitoring the funding and programming of community mental health services in the Elgin area.

Immigration -- Immigration in the Elgin area.

League of Women Voters of Illinois

In addition to the local issues, the League of Women Voters of Illinois is focused on the following core issues:

[Issues identifiable by our members and the public as core League issues. With a strong educational or advocacy component at the state level and/or the potential for community based action at the local or regional League level, with action design/implementation facilitated by the state League]

Advocacy Issue:

  • Fiscal Policy/Funding of Public Education and Social Services

LWVIL Projects:
  • Election Laws and Election Administration Reform, including implementation of Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
  • Making Democracy Work (MDW) + Democracy Project

Grassroots Issues:

[Defined as issues where activity is anticipated at the state legislative level - issues where we have strong member interest and an opportunity for the League to make an impact; these issues will be followed by program issue specialists - lobby activity will be generally restricted to grassroots advocates; issues may have an educational component]

  • Campaign Finance Reform
  • Children's Services: Early intervention services, foster care, children's mental health, transfer and juvenile correctional reform
  • Civil Liberties/Women's Issues: CEDAW
  • Criminal Justice: Recidivism rate reduction; removing barriers to successful reintegration; addressing needs of mentally ill offenders
  • Death Penalty Abolition
  • Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Gun Violence Prevention
  • Health Care: Health Care Justice Act Implementation
  • Mental Health: Coordination of services
  • Natural Resources: Wetlands preservation, Clean Air
  • Smart Growth
  • Social Policy: TANF reauthorization, family care, childcare, housing, employment training and job support

Issues Under Study:
  • Immigration: Study how Illinois should respond to the challenges and opportunities of immigration in the areas of economic policy, social policy, which includes education, and the governmental process.
  • Need for State Constitutional Convention.

For further details see League of Women Voters of Illinois

League of Women Voters

At the national level, the following are the League Legislative Priorities:

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. 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.

Civil Liberties -- Basic civil liberties must be protected as the nation seeks to guard against terrorism and other threats to national security.

Election Reform -- Registering to vote, educating yourself on candidates and issues, and actually casting a vote are all essential pieces of the election process. The League continues to work to make it easier for you to cast your vote, as it remains one of the most fundamental elements in our democracy.

Redistricting Reform -- It is time to stop partisan redistricting and develop mechanisms to ensure fair results, so that elections determine the shape of our legislatures.

Voting Rights Act -- In 2006, Congress will consider the reauthorization of the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The League of Women Voters has a long history of support for the Voting Rights Act. The League of Women Voters believes that the Voting Rights Act should be reauthorized and not weakened in any way by amendments.

DC Voting Rights -- Citizens of the District of Columbia have no representation in the U.S. Senate and only a nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. A basic principle of democracy is at stake. U.S. citizens living in the capital of the free world deserve to have full voting representation in the bodies that make their laws, tax them and call them to war.

Immigration -- Study how we should respond to the challenges and opportunities of immigration in the areas of economic policy, social policy, which includes education, and the governmental process.

For further details see League of Women Voters