H-F Area League of Women Voters Holds Program Planning Meeting

The Homewood-Flossmoor Area LWV recently held its annual Program Planning meeting in the home of member Syvia Tillman. Fifteen hearty members braved the aftermath of the area's first major storm this winter to attend this breakfast meeting.

Ms. Tillman, co-program chair, explains, "Every two years, state and local Leagues participate in the LWVUS Program Planning process by making recommendations concerning program issues.  This is how the League remains a grassroots organization. The Program Planning process is an important League tool for identifying issues for study, and it gives members and Leagues the opportunity to balance the pros and cons, assess possible support, and consider the viability of issues."

The recommendations resulting from the local League Program Planning process raises issues that may be discussed and voted upon at the National Convention to be held this year from June 8-12 in Washington, D.C. The local process enables more league members to participate instead of limiting the discussion and decision-making to those attending the national meeting. This year local Leagues are being asked to let LWVUS (League of Women Voters of the United States—our National League) know what positions, if any, each local or state League has used in its work in the community.

In an article for our January Bulletin, Ms. Tillman writes, "Program, a three-part process, is a core component of this League's mission and is composed of program planning, study and consensus, and advocacy.  While it is important for every League to hold a Program Planning meeting to discuss possible issues for study at the national level, it is not essential for every League to select an issue.  It is important for all Leagues to complete and submit a response form whether they recommend a program or not."

This grass-roots process has led to specific positions in many areas including campaign finance reform, death penalty abolition, education funding, election laws, gun violence prevention, judicial reform, redistricting, social policy, children's services, health care, natural resources, sustainable food and water, pensions, and immigration. 

Leagues across the country are also currently looking at the many new voting law changes that could make it significantly harder for more than five million eligible voters to cast ballots in 2012.