LWVO and State Settle Historic Lawsuit

Columbus, Ohio -- The League of Women Voters of Ohio, the League of Women Voters of Toledo-Lucas County, and a dozen Ohio citizens reached a historic agreement with the State of Ohio to fix defects in the way Ohio conducts its federal elections.

“Ohio voters won a great victory today with the settlement of this case which was about giving all eligible Ohio voters the chance to vote in a fair election and have their votes counted", said Meg G. Flack, president of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. “Careful planning and uniform execution of elections was our goal and we believe this agreement achieves that.”

To read the settlement agreement, visit LWV Ohio.

Update LWV Bookmark on Your Web Browser

If you haven’t already done so, please update the bookmark on your web browser for the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area: www.LWVCuyahogaArea.org

Openness in Government

Openness in Government: LWVUS Adds to Groundbreaking White House Policy Discussion

On his first day in office, President Obama issued a Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government and called for recommendations for making the federal government more transparent, participatory and collaborative. In late May, the White House kicked off an unprecedented process for public engagement in policymaking on the White House website (www.whitehouse.gov/open). Instead of asking for comments on an already-finished set of draft recommendations, the Administration has sought recommendations from the public and organizations such as the League. The LWVUS participated in the first two of this three-phase process by sharing our experiences and expertise to the online dialogue. We are actively working with Administration officials and allied groups to prepare for the final phase of this groundbreaking process and to see what outcomes it produces.

Inside Story on Cooperative Government

The public is invited to an expert panel discussion on how local governments can provide good services with fewer tax dollars. Titled, “Does Sharing Help? The Inside Story on Cooperative Government,” the event will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, starting at 6:45 pm at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Main Library, 2345 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights.

Panelists include South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo, University Heights Council Member Kevin Patrick Murphy, and Cleveland Heights Council Member Mark Tumeo. They will discuss their related experiences and answer audience questions.
Questions can be posted in advance at www.heightsobserver.org/deck/.

This forum is a joint project of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area, FutureHeights, and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library. For more information, call 216 781-0555.

LWV Ohio Convention News

The League of Women Voters of Ohio (LWV-Ohio) held its biennial state convention May 1-3 in Dublin, Ohio. The gathering gave nearly 70 League members from the 33 Leagues around the state the opportunity to celebrate the organization’s accomplishments and to discuss important public policy issues impacting communities across Ohio. Convention delegates adopted a program of policy issues for the biennium and approved resolutions calling for action on issues ranging from raising Ohio’s personal income tax to redistricting and election-administration reform to environmental, education and energy conservation issues.

For more information about the recent convention, visit www.lwvohio.org

Spring Arrives With Town Hall Meetings Around Ohio

Spring was the onset of a slew of LWV Ohio Education Fund’s Impact Town Hall Meetings in Ohio. Town Hall Meetings were held in Delaware, Columbus, Bowling Green, Marion, Perrysburg, and Portsmouth on topics concerning Redistricting, Judicial Reform and Election Law. These issues also brought into the discussions tax issues and the importance of accurate counting in the coming census for determining how federal funds will be distributed.

For more information about the Impact project’s town hall meetings and the interactive presentation, How Ohio Government Impacts You, visit www.ohioimpact.org

Money in Politics

For information about what campaign funds are received by your legislators, visit the following websites:

Ohio Secretary of State - Campaign Finance

Open Secrets

Ohio Citizen Action/Money in Politics

To understand more about Campaign Finance, visit LWV Ohio's Impact project website.

And to find information about candidates in Cuyahoga County, call the Campaign and Voters Services Department of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections at (216) 443-3231. You will be able to get a form that you'll have to fill out indicating which candidates, which election cycle, and so on. You'll be charged 3 cents per page. You can also visit the BOE in person.