When the LWV was first formed, the women were not only committed to voting, but were anxious to make known their opinions on numerous public issues. They were determined that the newly enfranchised women would cast informed votes.
At their first meeting, they listed 69 different items that they wanted to address. They did do some prioritizing and formed study committees to look into the most important issues and report back to the membership. These study committees and the issues they examined became the basis for what League calls “Program”.
Since then, Program has expanded to include items at all levels of government. Suggestions for study topics have always been provided from the grass-roots (members) and selected by delegates at annual meetings or state or national conventions. National and state study items have routinely been researched by board members at the appropriate level and study information provided to the local leagues, along with certain questions that guided the discussion at local, or Unit, meetings.
The goal was always to reach consensus on the questions, which were then sent to the national or state League. The board members compiled the responses from the local leagues and from that determined the League’s opinion, or Position, on the issue at hand. League members and local leagues may then use these positions to lobby elected officials on those topics. Local Leagues follow similar procedures when they determine a local issue that they feel needs to be studied.
For more, see our Policy Positions page here.