Current Issues, Positions, and Topics
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Issues We Are Guided By
LWV National Issues
The LWVUS has five main issues guiding the activity of all local leagues:
Impact on the Issues (2020-2022) is the League's official guide to their public policy positions. It includes the official statements of position for each program area. The LWVUS public policy positions “in brief” reflect the program adopted by the 2020 Convention of the League of Women Voters of the United States. 
LWV Greater Peoria Local Issues
The LWVGP has five main issues guiding the activity of all local leagues:
July 2023 - Climate Committee on CO2 Pipeline Read the full message to the right of this box. |
LWV Illinois Issues
LWVIL has positions on many issues of political activity in these three areas:
Issues are defined where activity is anticipated at the state legislative level—issues where we have strong member interest and an opportunity for the League to make an impact. The work of local Leagues is guided by these positions. The details of LWVIL's current positions can be found at Where We Stand 2021-2023 Statement of the League of Women Voters
of Greater Peoria, Illinois, regarding CO2 Pipelines. Since the 1960s, the League of Women Voters has championed efforts to protect air, land, and water resources. The League recognizes that the “… preservation of the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the earth’s ecosystem is essential for the maximum protection of public health and the environment…” (statement of the national League of Women Voters). More recently, the national League of Women Voters has said that “… state and local Leagues [of Women Voters] and individual League members, have a critical role to play in helping to limit future climate change and protect the planet”. Because of the U.S. League’s commitment to protect our natural resources, the environment, and public health, the Illinois League of Women Voters is supporting the work of the “Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines (noillinoisco2pipelines.org), in opposing the construction of CO2 pipelines across Illinois. The Coalition is concerned about safety issues resulting from the operation of these pipelines, and, additionally, the potential impact that proposed pipelines could have on environmental justice communities. The League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria stands with the state League in its concerns about the safety of CO2 pipelines as these pipelines are currently envisioned and planned. The federal agency in charge of pipeline safety, U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has acknowledged that “… new measures to strengthen its safety oversight of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) pipelines around the country and protect communities from dangerous pipeline failures…” are required (PHMSA statement May 26, 2022). Without those guidelines that PHMSA recognizes are needed, our communities are at risk from the construction of CO2 pipelines. This concern about CO2 pipeline safety has special urgency in our local central Illinois community, as Wolf Carbon Solutions/ADM has proposed laying a CO2 pipeline through parts of Peoria County, including areas in the South Side of the City of Peoria. We call on our elected state and local officials to enact meaningful regulations that will protect our farmers, our communities, and our farmland -- a valuable resource that our lives depend on. Until adequate safeguards are in place, until the public has had a full opportunity to be meaningfully informed and heard on the issues, until dangers to health and the environment have been fully addressed and resolved, we oppose the construction of any CO2 pipelines. |
USA Map Outline by Amber Parrow from the Noun Project|Illinois icon by Linseed Studio from the Noun Project
Past Topics for Study Include
Direct Election of the PresidentThe League of Women Voters believes that the Electoral College should be abolished in favor of a direct popular vote.
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RedistrictingLWVIL is one of the groups now lobbying to get the Illinois state legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the 2020 ballot for voters to determine if they support redistricting reform.
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Peoria Township ProposalThe LWVGP's Committee studying the Peoria Township Proposal is working is to determine if the proposal should be supported, opposed, or no position taken.
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