The League of Women Voters is very involved with state planning meetings across the country. So, what’s on the agenda for New York State? We’ve compiled a primer that states our positions and concerns for upcoming meetings.
POSITIONS IN BRIEF
ELECTION LAW
- Support of measures to protect, extend and encourage the use of the franchise; open the political system by enacting a public campaign financing law for statewide offices; establish legal, ethical campaign guidelines; monitor campaign practices; simplify rules for ballot access. Restore integrity to the election process – specifically support for uniformity in election laws and procedures in their implementation and enforcement; promote measures that ensure the integrity of all ballots; support adequate funding for these procedures, including training of all involved election personnel.*
- Opposition to term limits for members of the NYS Legislature.
- Opposition to term limits for NYS statewide elected officials.
GOVERNMENT
- Support of standards to ensure equitable representation in the State legislature and the congress.
- Support of improved measures to provide representation for legislative districts in case of a vacancy.
- Support of responsive and responsible legislative processes which increase the role of the individual member and
- the committee system.
- Support of effective lobbying and ethics regulation.
- Support of procedural reforms in the constitutional convention process to promote openness and nonpartisanship.
HEALTH CARE
- Support a single payor concept as an acceptable approach to implementing League positions on equitable access and cost containment.
- Support of measures to assure a basic level of quality physical and mental health care for all state residents including regulatory incentives to encourage development of cost effective alternative methods of delivery; funding for health promotion and disease prevention programs; provisions for effective citizen participation in health policy decisions.
- Support of measures that enable individuals to assume responsibility for their own health and to participate in decisions including termination of extraordinary life-extending procedures.
- Support for uniform eligibility and coverage of basic health care costs through public financing.
JUDICIAL
- Support of a unified state court system with improved provisions for judicial selection.
- Support of statewide guidelines for law enforcement at all levels to prevent racial and economic profiling.
- Support of measures to improve pretrial procedures in the criminal courts.
- Support of measures to promote a fair and efficient jury system.
- Support of alternatives to incarceration.
- Opposition to the death penalty, with life without parole as the primary alternative .
NATURAL RESOURCES
- Support for measures to achieve watershed protection including limiting pesticide use and applying Best Management Practices.
- Support for a state-established, intergovernmental system for land resource management.
- Support for a proactive role for New York State in regional land use planning, containing urban sprawl and protecting sensitive areas.
- Support of reconditioning of the New York State Erie/Barge Canal System and its development for recreational uses.
SOCIAL POLICY
- Support measures to meet the needs for low-income housing through use of state funds and incentives to localities
STATE FINANCES
- Support reforms for greater equity in education financing for both pupils and taxpayers.
- Support raising funds to provide New York’s children with a sound basic education through increases in the New York State personal income tax, implemented in a progressive fashion.
- Oppose in principle the use of public funds to support non-public schools, kindergarten-twelfh grade.
- Support a uniform equitable assessment and property tax system.
- Support for the replacement of the existing local residential property tax relief programs in which relief goes to all with programs based on need, with annual cost of living adjustment.
- Support of measures to provide for openness and accountability in the operation of the New York State public authority system.
- Support of a timely and responsive state budget.
- Support the funding of public higher education and the existing formula for financing the community system, 1/3 tuition, 1/3 state aid, and 1/3 county support
WOMEN’S ISSUES/SOCIAL POLICY
- Support of measures which hold marriage to be an economic partnership with a presumption of equality between the spouses.
- Opposition to measures that contain a presumption of joint custody of the children
- Support for equity in employment laws and practices and equal pay for jobs of comparable worth.
- Support of measures to reduce the incidence and effects of domestic violence.
- Support for measures to meet the needs for affordable and accessible housing through use of state funds and incentives to localities.
*These state positions are based on LWVUS principles and public policy positions. State actions on other items not covered under a state position can also be taken under LWVUS positions. Reproductive choices (Government position) and welfare reform (Meeting Basic Human Needs position) are two examples.
