Money in Politics

April 19
Money in Politics

Lippitt House Museum, 199 Hope Street, Providence
Doors 6:30 PM | Discussion 7:00 PM
Refreshments and time for informal conversation

During big election years the impact of money on our political process is clear. What role do PACs and other big donors play in the electoral process? How will current campaign finance reform efforts make a difference?

Richard Arenberg, Visiting Lecturer in Political Science, International & Public Affairs, Brown University
Stephen Erickson, Commissioner, Rhode Island Board of Elections

Program support courtesy League of Women Voters RI Education Fund.

The League of Women Voters US has announced its new position on Money in Politics.

Constitutional Amendment Study

For anyone interested:
The LWVUS Constitutional Amendment Committee will study the process of amending the U.S. Constitution. Study website

Additional material is being shared on a Yahoogroup. The suggested readings from members of the Yahoogroup may be found here. Materials from the Yahoogroup are often updated as group members find new materials, so check back frequently.

League Positions

Impact on Issues is an indispensable resource for League leaders. A clear understanding of LWVUS positions, how they interrelate and how they can complement and reinforce state, local and Inter-League Organization (ILO) positions, will strengthen the League’s “Impact on Issues” at all levels of government.
http://lwv.org/content/impact-issues-online-edition

See League positions on:

Representative Government (includes: Voting Rights, Elections, etc.)

International Relations (includes: Arms Control, Military Spending, etc.)

Natural Resources (includes: Agriculture, Environmental Protection, etc.)

Social Policy (includes: Health Care, Immigration, Gun Control, etc.)

 

The League of Women Voters Education Team blog

Hello Leaguers,

Last June in Dallas, we held an Education caucus to gauge the interest in sharing information about school choice and accountability.  There were 92 League members from 32 states in attendance.  We agreed to form national committees to track legislation and advocacy efforts regarding privatization of our public schools.

We have now launched a League Education Issues blog.  We ask for your help in advertising the blog in your communities.  Please let your membership know that they can subscribe and contribute to a better understanding of what is occurring in each state.

SUBSCRIBE AT:  http://lwveducation.com

Regards,
Sue Legg, Ph.D.
Chair, School Choice Project
Florida League of Women Voters

Help us wth VOTE411

Providence and North Providence people ask your City and Town Council candidates if they have their Contact information on VOTE411. http://www.vote411.org/

2014 LWVUS Convention

2014 LWVUS Convention As many of you know, Convention 2014 will be held  in Dallas, Texas from June 6-10, with the theme of "Power: Our Voices, Our Votes". This is your official notice that materials traditionally found in the Convention Workbook (information on the budget, bylaws, program and nominated leadership) for the LWVUS 2014 Convention are ready and available on the LWVUS Web site.  Hard copies will be available at Convention for all attendees.

Convention is the opportunity for us to come together as one organization to plan for the next two years and even beyond. There are so many important issues facing our nation and our communities that finding the most productive focus is always a challenge. The LWVUS Board contributes to that planning process by making recommendations, based on member input, with regard to program, bylaw amendments and by proposing a budget for the biennium.

Other material for Convention sent by State and Local Leagues:

Bylaw Proposal - Concurrence Process

Campaign Finance - Caucus
Climate Change
Equality of Opportunity
Human Trafficking
Inequality-Living Wage
LWV 20/20: evaluating the LWV for the future
Partisan Primaries - Proposal
Prison Gerrymandering caucus
Reducing Carbon Emissions - Caucus
Restoring Voting Rights to Ex-Felons

LWVUS Program Recommendation for 2014-2015

For the biennium the LWVUS Board recommends:

Retaining all our current positions in the areas of representative government, international relations,
natural resources, and social policy.

A Concurrence on the convention floor with the position of the LWVNJ on human trafficking. and

A comprehensive three-part program combining study and review of key, specific structures of
American Democracy   -   More

Agricultural Consensus Meeting: April 7, Providence, 7 pm‏

This is a fascinating study to update the national agriculture policy position.  Several short articles pertaining to the Agriculture Update study and the consensus meeting:

• Agriculture Glossary
• Agriculture Policy (LWV-US's)
• Consensus questions
• Economic Health (summarized & annotated)
• Food Labeling (summarized & annotated)
• Research and Development
• Food Safety
• Animal management discussion
• Interaction of Federal Agencies with Food Safety Missions
• The Healthy Farm (Union of Concerned Scientists)

Just read as much as you can, but DON'T look at the list and think I can't possibly contribute to the consensus.  This is overwhelming for Congress.  Just come and learn and contribute.  The Healthy Farm is very informative and a short interesting read.

If you really get into it, other study documents can be found on the LWV website.  Use this link to go directly to the study documents http://www.lwv.org/search/content/Agriculture%20Study?page=1   They include articles on nanotechnology as it pertains to agriculture, water management and tons of source material.

 

And finally, since the study in part is about feeding people, I thought it would be nice to bring a non-perishable item for the Camp Street Food pantry which longtime league member Mary Hazeltine is a co-director.

 

The League of Women Voters and Candidate Debates: A Changing Relationship

Why doesn't the League of Women Voters do Presidential Debates now?

State and local Leagues across the country continue to host debates for candidates running at all other levels of government, from U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to statewide offices, to city government and everything in between. The grassroots nature of the League enables us to engage communities in the process by hosting debates and other election activities.

But what about Presidential debates? The League did get sued any number of times, but there's more to the story. Read about it here.

Agriculture Study Update Consensus Meeting 4/7‏

April 7, 2014
7:00 – 9:00 pm603 Angell St.
Providence, RI 02906

Agriculture Study Explanation

For more information on the LWVUS website:
Study Committee/Timeline/Background Reading
Consensus Questions
Study Papers (14 documents)

Bylaw amendment proposal on Concurrence process LWVUS 2014 Convention‏

An amendment (5 words) was added at the 2012 LWVUS convention to the section on concurrence (Article XII Section 2C) that removes an important element of flexibility LWVUS delegates might have to adopt a position by concurrence at convention in a timely manner.

The LWV Sacramento County is proposing that we go back to the original bylaw language to retain the flexibility of the grassroots delegate body to use the concurrence process on the very rare occasion that we need that flexibility. This proposal maintains the threshold requirement of a 2/3 vote to amend or adopt a national League position by concurrence on the floor of convention.

More information

Please contact me with your support, opposition or questions.

Paula Lee paula.lee@comcast.net
LWV Sacramento, CA

Opposing view:
The bylaw was amended to reaffirm the meaning and intent of concurrence, which is to concur with a position reached by another League after study and discussion. It's the study and discussion at the grassroots aspect that sets League positions apart from stances taken by other organizations. We trust other Leagues to have done a thorough process, that's why we can be comfortable in concurring. I'm for leaving the bylaw alone.
Judy Poulson, LWVTN  jpoulson319@comcast.net

2014 RI Women in Agriculture Conference

Tuesday, March 11, 2014 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Eastern Time)

CBLS, URI Main Campus
120 Flagg Rd.
Kingston, Rhode Island 02881
United States
Map and Directions

 

Please ​join ​us ​for ​the ​3rd ​RI ​Women ​in ​Agriculture ​ Conference. ​You'll ​hear ​from ​leaders ​in ​RI ​agriculture ​and ​be ​ inspired ​by ​your ​peers. ​Trade ​show ​will ​provide ​information ​ from ​ag ​non-profit ​organizations ​and ​ag-related ​vendors. ​ Complete ​agenda ​will ​be ​available ​soon.

Are ​you ​a ​beginning ​farmer? ​If ​you ​are ​a ​beginning ​farmer  ​and ​would ​like ​to ​attend ​the ​conference ​for ​free, ​please ​ email youngfarmernight@gmail.com ​with ​your ​name, ​contact ​ information, ​and ​1-2 ​sentences ​about ​why ​you ​would ​like ​to ​ attend ​the ​Women ​in ​Agriculture ​conference.

 

Women in Agriculture Conference link

Save the Date - Forum: Preserving Farm Land

Forum: Preserving Farm Land
March 12, 6 pm
Speaker: Chuck Allot, Executive Director, Aquidneck Land Trust

Location to be determined

Agriculture Study

Agriculture Meeting:
Friday, February 21, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Portsmouth Public Library, 2658 East Main Rd. Portsmouth, RI

All are  welcome.  Please contact Susan Wells with questions:  swells229@yahoo.com or 378-7595

Study Proposal - LWVUS Planning

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts will recommend, as its input to the national program planning process, that LWVUS review and update its existing position on Campaign Finance given how decisions made by the Supreme Court over the last 40 years have impacted campaign financing at all levels of electoral politics.

In your own League's program planning, we ask that you consider making this recommendation as well. The program planning response form must be submitted to LWVUS by March 1.

Full Proposal

Play LWV State of the Union BINGO! - 1/28/14

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 28th, because we’re back this year with LWV State of the Union (SOTU) Bingo! Get your game boards ready and join us on 1/28 when we live-tweet the SOTU and track how the President’s speech aligns with the League’s legislative priorities.

Follow along @LWV and use the hashtags #LWV and #SOTU to join in and play along. Good luck!

Game Boards

Agriculture Study - Update

Although agriculture is not a big factor in the RI economy, there are a lot of agriculture issues that really do matter even to Rhode Islanders.

The Agriculture Update will focus narrowly on: 1) current technology issues in agriculture including genetically modified organisms (GMOs), herbicides, pesticides, agriculture water pollution, aquifer depletion, antibiotics in livestock, and accurate food labeling; and 2) current agriculture finance issues including consolidation in agriculture industries, crop subsidies and the federal agricultural regulatory process.

For more information on the LWVUS website:
Study Committee/Timeline/Background Reading
Consensus Questions
Study Papers (14 documents)

The LWVRI Agriculture Study Committee plans to hold informational meetings for the state prior to consensus meetings.

Study Proposal - LWVUS Planning

Dear fellow League leaders --

Attached below is our three Leagues' proposal for a new national study called
"Alternatives to Partisan Primaries" or APP, which we hope you will consider and mention in your upcoming Program Planning feedback to LWVUS.  We are the three Leagues in greater Cleveland, OH:  LWV Cuyahoga Area, LWV Cleveland Area and LWV Shaker Heights.  We are hoping many other local and state Leagues, including our own LWV Ohio, will soon join us.

Full letter
Proposal