Action and Advocacy

We are truly a grassroots organization...Celebrating our Golden Anniversary - 50 years of Thurston County League of Women Voters!

Educational Forums Current Issues Candidate Forums Who represents you?

Local action for promoting democracy.  Forums.  Current Issues.  County Governance.  Initiative 1098.  Referendum 52.  Candidate forums.  Legislative Advocacy.

Local action for promoting democracy

The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause when there is an existing League position that supports the issue or speaks to the cause. 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.

Forums

Once monthly forums are held on the fourth Thursday of the month starting at 6:00pm. These forums feature speakers on issues of local concern. See the Calendar for current forums.

Current Issues being discussed

Current issues of concern to the League of Women Voters of Thurston County are: Dioxin in the Port of Olympia, Shoreline Management, The Olympia Isthmus, Global warming, Alternative energy, Universal health coverage, Growth Management, Thurston County Critical Areas Ordinance, Thurston County governance.

County Governance

Consistent with the Thurston County League's position on Thurston County government, League members have begun developing a coalition with others interested in the possibility of a home rule charter. Notes of meetings on this issue will be posted here, as well as updates on this activity.

Note: The July and August meetings were canceled; the next scheduled meeting of this group is September 21.

Sustainable Government Meeting, June 1, 2011

Sustainable Government Meeting, April 19, 2011

Initiative 1098

Initiative 1098, which would have established a State income tax for highest income residents in Washington, was on the ballot in November 2010. It was endorsed by the League of Women Voters. League members helped collect signatures for this initiative. Although the initiative failed, League members remain committed to achieving a different tax structure in Washington. For more information about this initiative, see http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/people.aspx or http://yeson1098.com/home.html.

Referendum 52, Healthy Schools for Washington

Referendum 52, the Healthy Schools for Washington referendum, was placed on the November 2010 ballot by the Legislature. It would have provided funding to public schools so they could retrofit and renovate aging and unsafe school buildings to make them healthy, safe and energy efficient and help create healthy learning environments.

Energy efficiency improvements mean that school districts use less energy and save money through reduced heating, lighting, and water costs. When fully implemented, R-52 would have reduced greenhouse gas emissions in an amount equivalent to taking 130,000 cars off the road per year. R-52 would also have helped rebuild our economy, putting 30,000 people to work at construction jobs across the state

The League of Women Voters endorsed this referendum and LWV members worked to gain voter support for it. Although it failed on the ballot, Thurston County League members remain committed to supporting actions that will aid education. For more information, see http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/ReferendumBills.aspx or http://www.healthyschoolsforwa.org.

Know who you are voting for

Current candidates for local election are interviewed by the League. These interviews are televised and available on TCTV, the local public events channel. Check the calendar for viewing times.

Legislative Advocacy

Based upon League positions on issues of importance both locally and nationally, League members work with members of the State Legislature and local governments.Presently the issues with League positions can be located at the following website: http://www.lwvwa.org/lwvwatopics.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: January 3, 2012 12:26 PST.

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