League Position Policy

The League of Women Voters arrives at its positions on issues through research, study and a process of member agreement. League action is based on the general consensus of members who have examined both sides of the issue. Only after consensus is reached and the position is formally adopted by the board can the League act. Positions on issues are researched and agreed upon at the national, state or local level, depending on the scope of the issue. League members may take action only on issues for which a position exists.

2009-2011 State of Georgia League Positions

Election Reform and Voting Rights

Improving election laws has been the main goal of the League of Women Voters of Georgia since its inception. The League continues to support equitable, enforceable election systems and works to ensure that every vote cast in Georgia is counted and that every eligible citizen that wishes to vote is enabled to do so.

Government

The League works on issues regarding reapportionment, representation, the state's constitution, and the role of elected officials in Georgia. We remain in support of numerous reforms to open state government and ensure equal representation.

Education

The League supports quality public education in Georgia, as well as equity in state funding for our public schools. The League's history of actively promoting Georgia's public school system began in the 1950s with our opposition to the "private-school" amendment - a measure that would have ended the public school system and provided grants to individual citizens for educational purposes.

Healthcare

The League supports access to a basic level of quality care for all citizens and has positions on broad areas of health care, including indigent care and public health administration.

Legal Status of Women

The League's study of the legal status of women began in 1971; our work since has included support for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and monitoring changes in state laws and practices that a particular impact on women.

Taxation

The League supports a broad-based tax system equitable to taxpayers and sufficient to finance the needs of the state. We support progressive rather than regressive taxation but view sales tax as part of a broad-based tax structure.

Enviornment

The League supports comprehensive planning for managing growth in Georgia. The League also believes that NOW is the time to act on global climate change. We can use existing technologies to make power plants, factories, and automobiles more efficient, while improving cleaner technologies to combat pollution. To reinforce and expand on those efforts, the League urges federal action that will reduce climate change pollutants on a national and global scale.

Liability Insurance

The League supports insurance regulation that balances the needs of the consumer and the regulated industry; is sufficiently flexible to allow prompt response to changing needs; is enforceable; and is effectively enforced.

Criminal Justice and the Courts

Because we firmly believe that there are far less costly and effective ways than imprisonment to deal with many offenders who have committed non-violent crimes, we support expanding the availability and use of alternatives to incarceration for both adults and juveniles.