What's New

League of Women Voters^®
of Orange-Durham-Chatham

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!<
June 17, Voter-Owned Elections Lobby Day
Action on NC Budget Needed Now
Take Action Now: President's Budget
National Popular Vote Compact Consensus Meeting
Durham Forum on Local Election Method Changes
Health Care Community Education Series Summary
Health Care Reform
Immigration Reform

June 17, LOBBY DAY. Action needed on the NC Budget. Take Action Now: President's Budget. National Popular Vote Compact. April 1, Durham Forum: Local Election's Methods. 2008 Health Care Community Education Series Summary. Health Care. New Immigration Position.

June 17, LOBBY DAY

Help Fight for Better Government at Voter-Owned Elections Lobby Day
The League of Women Voters is a proud member of NC Voters for Clean Elections, a coalition working to advance citizen-funded, voter-owned elections. We believe that this system of public campaign financing would help improve the quality of education in this state by allowing elected officials to pass policies that better reflect the public interest.
We're co-sponsoring Voter-Owned Elections Lobby Day, an advocacy day at the NC General Assembly that will bring citizens from all over North Carolina to Raleigh to call for these important democracy reforms.
Join Us in attending Voter-Owned Elections Lobby Day June 17th, 2009. Register to attend (see below)
9:00am - 10:30am: (Orientation) Legislative Auditorium, 3rd. floor (16 W. Jones St., Raleigh)
11am - 3pm: Meet with Representatives and free lunch
This is our opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to changing the money-in-politics culture in Raleigh. Our elected officials should be able to spend more time with average voters and less time fundraising from wealthy donors. Qualified candidates with lots of community support should be able to run for office even if they are not well-connected to the establishment.
There are two bills before the General Assembly this year that would advance this reform agenda.
- One bill would expand our successful Council of State program, reducing candidate's for our state executive office's dependency on fundraising from the industries they regulate.
- The other bill would allow cities to create Voter-Owned Elections programs that open up the process for all candidates at the local level.
These bills will not pass without an outpouring of support from across the state.
Register today!
Click here for more information on the day's agenda, parking and directions.
With these two bills on the brink of passing, lobby day could not come at a more opportune and crucial time.
- Help us build a system that truly allows citizens to be in charge of our democracy!
- Help us fight to change the way power works in Raleigh and prove to legislators that North Carolinians support public campaign financing!
See you on June 17th!

Action needed on the NC Budget

BUDGET UPDATE
The House Appropriations Subcommittees released parts of their budget recommendations this week. The House responds to the $4.6 billion shortfall with dramatic cuts in basic programs, with Public Education and Health & Human Services being big targets for the largest cuts.
The full Appropriations Committee will most likely have their version of the budget completed on or around June 16th. Once that passes the House, negotiations begin between the House and Senate. Of course, Governor Perdue will have the option to veto.
ACTION NEEDED ON THE NC BUDGET-from our Coalition partners at Together NC
Current budget proposals would devastate North Carolina 's economy, communities, and families.
Times are tough right now. The economy is down, unemployment is sky high, and hundreds of thousands of families are struggling. In past recessions, North Carolinians have always looked to state and local governments to provide essential services to families in need, to stabilize the economy and to promote development. Now, however, an unprecedented budget crisis-a budget shortfall of close to $5 billion next year-threatens state government's ability to provide even the most basic of services.
To address the shortfall, the North Carolina House of Representatives is considering a plan based almost entirely on massive cuts to the budget that would devastate North Carolina 's families and communities. Unlike the Senate, the House does not include new revenues in their plan that would help limit the extent of harmful cuts. Some of the cuts under consideration in the House are:
Deep and damaging cuts to K-12 education including:

Reduce the school calendar by 5 days in 2009-2010 and 10 days in 2010-2011,
Dramatically larger class sizes, and
As many as 10,000 layoffs of teachers, teacher assistants and other vital school personnel.

The complete elimination of a number of basic human services for some of our most vulnerable citizens, including:

The elimination of basic in-home services to individuals with mental retardation and serious developmental disabilities that keep them from being institutionalized, and
The elimination of dental care, prescription drugs (and even artificial limbs!) for low-income families and seniors enrolled in the state Medicaid health insurance program.

Dangerous reductions to the criminal justice system, including:

The closure of multiple prisons in an already dangerously overcrowded system, and
Huge cuts to sentencing services programs that help monitor criminal offenders and prevent them from falling back into a life of crime.

Together, these cuts will literally set North Carolina back by decades. In many instances, a quarter-century of progress (in education, human services, criminal justice and several other vital areas like the environment, higher education and transportation) could be swept away almost overnight.
Perhaps even worse, according to economists, such a huge and rapid decline in public spending threatens to make the recession even deeper and harder to escape.
So, what do we do? The answer is clear: State lawmakers must find the courage to raise additional revenue. http://capwiz.com/ncjustice/issues/alert/?alertid=13416646&queueid=3406513701
It won't be easy or fun, but ultimately, there are ways to close loopholes and reform our tax system so that we narrow the budget gap while having only a modest impact on the taxes paid by most households and businesses.
What can you do to help?
Time is short. Under the state Constitution, lawmakers need to complete work on the budget by June 30. They need to hear from you today.
Email your legislators and Governor Perdue and tell them to say "NO" to devastating budget cuts and "YES" to a balanced solution for the state budget that enacts smart cuts and raises new revenue. If we pull together, we can get through this budget crisis. Let's get to work!
TOGETHER NC PRESS CONFERENCE

Attend Together NC press conference Tuesday, June 2, 10:30 a.m. outside of the Legislative Building, Jones Street, Raleigh.

Join Action for Children NC, the Covenant and Together NC at the legislative building and Sound the Alarm on the Budget.

Attend a local Together NC Town Hall Meeting and make your voice heard.

Learn more at http://www.togetherNC.org

Take Action Now: President's Budget

ACTION ALERT: Health Care and Climate at Risk -- Support the President's Budget
President Obama has proposed a 2010 federal budget that articulates America's most urgent priorities. The proposal contains essential funding for health care reform and for curbing global warming, while making other changes aimed at putting America on a path for economic recovery.
Please take action now to urge your Senators and Representative to support the President's budget!
The upcoming votes in the House and Senate will be the first real political tests for health care reform and curbs on global warming. Opponents of both these important initiatives are mobilizing to defeat the President's budget because they know that's the easiest way to sidetrack reform. We can't let them succeed!
Tell your Senators and Representative that you support health care reform and cutting global warming. Ask them to vote for the President's budget.
In today's economy, it is more important than ever to support a budget that includes solutions to America's toughest problems. The President's proposal includes $630 billion over ten years for health care reform and $646 billion over the same time period to reduce the greenhouse gases that are causing global warming.
The House and Senate Budget Committees are expected to release their budget resolutions soon, with votes scheduled quickly after. Make sure your Representative and Senators know that any budget that Congress passes must include investments in two of our toughest challenges - health care reform and global warming.
TAKE ACTION

Contact your Senators and Representative now, by phone or by email, and urge them to vote to support the President's budget. Tell them you support health care reform and curbs on global warming.

Send an instant message to your Senators and Representative now! Phone calls are helpful as well, and can be made through the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121 or 202-225-3121.

Additional information on the League's stands on health care reform and global warming

National Popular Vote Compact

The LWVODC Consensus Meeting on the National Popular Vote (NPV) Compact was held on March 28. The consensus results were sent to the LWVUS before the deadline for local League feedback. LWVUS will compile the consensus results and release the League's position in a few months.
Consensus questions and detailed background and resource material

April 1, Durham Forum: Local Election's Methods

The League of Women Voters of Orange, Durham, and Chatham Counties hosted a forum on the election methods used in Durham for its local elections on April 1.
Participants includee:

Donald L. Horowitz, James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science
Robert P. Joyce, UNC Professor of Public Law and Government
Torrey Dixon of FairVoteNC
Bob Hall, Executive Director of Democracy NC.

Check out the April VOTER for results of the meeting.
News Release and Background Information

2008 Health Care Community Education Series Summary

2008 Health Care Community Education Series Summary
Building on the success of the 2007 Health Care Forum, the LWVODC continued its exploration of issues affecting health care reform with a four-part series "Our Community, Our Health Care, Our Vote."

Health Care Reform

Affordable health care is ranking near the top of citizens' concerns nationally and locally. The LWVODC Health Care Reform Advocacy Committee is working together with LWVNC to educate and advocate our community about health care reform issues.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Why is comprehensive change to North Carolina's Health Insurance System Needed?

How is the LWVODC Health Care Reform Advocacy Committee working to advocate for and to educate the community about health care reform along with theLWV of NC?

What actions can you take to make a difference?

TAKE ACTION ON HEALTH CARE REFORM

Immigration Reform

In 2008, the League of Women Voters adopted a position on immigration reform after a lengthy and comprehensive study by its National and local Leagues. Information on the study, the new position and resource matierials

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: June 28, 2009 08:40 PDT.