HOW DOES THE LEAGUE DECIDE ON STUDY AND ACTION ISSUES?
When a person joins the League of Women Voters of Broward County (LWVBC), you join not only the LWVBC but also the LWV of Florida (LWVFL) and the LWV of the United States (LWVUS).
“Study and Action. These words capture the essence of the League of Women Voters. Every member of the League is encouraged to participate in the process of “study and action” in its entirety, from the adoption of a study, through the achievement of a consensus, to its ultimate conclusion with action. At each level of the League, the decision making process for deciding which issues are worthy of study and action is essentially the same. The process is briefly described below.
When a program is adopted that includes a new issue for study, members research the issue. Background material on all sides of the issue, a bibliography and consensus questions are furnished by a study committee. These questions, when answered by the membership, may establish a consensus.
However, consensus by group discussion is the technique most often used in the League for reaching member agreement. It is a process whereby members participate in a group discussion of an issue. The consensus reached by members through group discussion is not a simple majority, nor is it unanimity; rather it is the overall sense of the group as expressed through the exchange of ideas and opinions, whether in a membership meeting or a series of membership or unit meetings. Wherever the Board (national, state or local) determines there is substantial agreement (or consensus), a formal position is adopted.
Every year the LWVBC meets with its membership to discuss issues of countywide interest and concerns. The Board weighs the various recommendations and decides which issues will become part of the LWVBC program presented to our members one month prior to our annual meeting in April. After LWVBC members vote on whether to retain current positions and add new positions, a new document is issued called Action Issues.
Note: Local Leagues officially support all State and National positions and thus may use them locally when appropriate without further study.
LWVUS: Impact on Issues 2022-2024
LWVFL: Florida Study and Action 2023-2025
2024-2025 ACTION ISSUES
Note: The following are either issues that we have studied locally and reached consensus or action items in support of positions listed on LWVFL or LWVUS Program (also studied and consensus reached on those levels).
VOTER SERVICES
COUNTY-WIDE LIBRARY SYSTEM
- Support an adequately and equitably funded county-wide public library system.
- Support the Broward County Libraries’ Friends of the Library groups.
- Support for a Library Collection Development policy developed according to professional standards and procedures established by American Library Association. (American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights”)
CHILDREN’S ISSUES
- Support an independent taxing district in Broward County to fund children’s services pursuant to FL statutes 125.901 and monitor the Children’s Services Council.
- Advocate and support effective and efficient services for Broward County children.
- Monitor detention centers and support actions that encourage diversion and deflection programs in the Juvenile Justice system. (Per LWVFL position)
EDUCATION
- Review changing educational needs of Broward County students.
- Support accountability in all schools receiving public funds.
- Promote adequate and equitable funding of public education and oppose expansion of public funding of private education.(Per LWVFL position)
- Support a curricular framework that has broad common standards developed by educational experts that serve as a guide to local districts.These frameworks should promote diversity and nondiscrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, nationality, and ability status and also include the historic mandates to teach Holocaust, antisemitism and African American History. Curricular standards must apply uniformly to ALL publicly funded schools. (Per LWVFL position)
- Support Civics Education to increase civic engagement among young people.
- Support non-partisan elections of School Boards.
- Support intellectual Freedom in all publicly funded K-12 and post-secondary schools:All students have the right to materials and educational experiences that promote open inquiry, critical thinking, diversity in thought and expression, and respect for others.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS ISSUES (Per LWVFL and LWVUS positions)
- Support equal opportunity, equal pay for equal work, and all equal rights, regardless of gender identification.
- Support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and efforts to bring laws into compliance with the goals of the ERA. Support equal rights for all under state and federal law regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or economic status.
- Actively support pro-choice policies and reproductive freedom, including the right to make reproductive choices, the right to privacy in making those choices and the availability of services.
HUMAN ISSUES (Per LWVUS positions)
- Support equal rights for all under state and federal law regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.
- Support establishment of laws that prosecute and penalize human traffickers and abusers, and strict enforcement of existing laws.
- Support the safe rescue and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking and the education of the public about this issue.
- Promote a health care system for the US that provides access to a basic level of quality care for all US residents, includes behavioral health and controls health care costs. Support Medicaid Expansion for FL. (Per LWVFL position)
- Support programs that aim to protect and support victims of abuse and sexual harassment.
- Advocate for social justice reform in every level of government to eradicate systemic racism and the harm that it causes. (Passed by delegates at the 2020 LWVUS Convention.)
AFFORDABLE HOUSING (Per LWVUS and LWVFL positions)
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Support affordable housing programs and projects.
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Educate public about Broward affordable housing needs and possible solutions.
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Protect the Sadowski Fund so it can only be used for affordable housing.
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Identify, support, and monitor local dedicated funding sources for housing.
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GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Per LWVFL and LWVUS positions)
- Actively support efforts to promote gun safety legislation and programs.
- Support efforts to educate Broward residents and students on gun safety issues.
- Actively support the “Lock-It-Up” program and other safe storage initiatives.
- Oppose firearms legislation that is detrimental to public safety.
Adopted at Annual Meeting April 27, 2024
Background Notes: Those local issues we have studied and reached consensus on in Broward County are:
Broward County Government: Charter and Charter Changes
Environmental Issues: Parks, Criteria for Parks, Water, Recycling
County-wide Library System
Children’s Issues: Independent Taxing District
Education: Accountability
Gun Safety
Other items are action/support for positions taken State-wide, or Nation-wide, which we can always use locally. They are listed to show that we are actively working locally in support.
Please read the complete background on Broward Action Issues
2024 Background and History of Broward Action Issues