Va. League of Women Voters initiative aims to boost public’s right to know

At the League of Women Voters of Virginia 41st Biennial Convention June 3-4, 2023 in Williamsburg,, elegates passed an important resolution and several major initiatives.

Via resolution, the League affirmed the belief that all branches of Virginia government must respect the public’s right to know by conducting public business in public. As part of this resolution, the League will formulate an internal group charged with monitoring legislation and advocating for more transparency. It will also review government behavior for openness.

The League noted it was a founding member of Transparency Virginia that successfully pushed the General Assembly to improve public access and successfully advocated for transparency to be a requirement for the Redistricting Commission.

“We see a need for transparency in the budget process and state agency meetings that seem to make decisions without regard to public input and offer no public scrutiny,” the LWV said in a news release.

Delegates adopted several new positions that will strengthen our ability to advocate for issues at the state and local levels in the areas of: Child Care, Education Equity, Environmental Justice, and Money in Politics.

In addition, the League will undertake a comprehensive two year study addressing universal voting suffrage. The study will look at all aspects of the concept of a “universal right to vote.”