Action and Advocacy

We are truly a grassroots organization...

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Get Involved! Find Elected Officials, Issues & Legislation, and Media

Use your computer to get involved! Go to the League of Women Voters' Legislative Action Center, aka CapWiz, where you can find your elected officials, read about hot issues and pending legislation that fall within the scope of the League's positions, and get in touch with your local media using the zip-code directory.

Principles Underlying League Action

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.

State & National Action

The League of Women Voters takes positions on issues--local, regional, state or national--only after its members have studied and reached agreement on them. The League never supports or opposes political parties or candidates for public office. Based on positions developed through member study & agreement, the League does take action to support or oppose specific governmental measures, policies, and processes.

Find out what issues we follow at the state level.

Read about our positions on national issues.

Local Action Committee

If you are wondering how you can be involved in the League without a full-time commitment, here is something for you.

We are looking for members interested in serving on a Local Action Committee. There are so many issues of interest and concern: child care, economic development, local City of Topeka/Shawnee County government, housing, land use/planning & zoning, Shawnee County schools, and the question of solid and hazardous waster management. A very big job for just one--manageable and interesting for several.

If one of these issues piques your curiosity and you are willing to follow the developments, please contact President Jan Waide. We want to have a presence on these issues of particular interest to our League and community.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 28, 2008, 11:45 AM, CDT

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