I. POLICY
A. Action at the State Government Level
Action to obtain support for League positions includes oral and/or written testimony to members of the General Assembly, committees of the Maryland General Assembly, the Governor, state agencies, state study commissions, state-level meetings and public hearings, and contacts with state officials.
1. Responsibility for Action & Advocacy. All action at the state governmental level in the name of the LWVMD is the responsibility of the LWVMD Board. Only the President, legislative action coordinator, or a director or other member designated by the President may speak for or take action on behalf of the LWVMD. LLs and MAL units may take action on state governmental issues only when authorized to do so by the state Board and only in conformity with, not contrary to, the position taken by the LWVMD. Individual members may act in the name of the League only when authorized to do so by the state Board. (See the LWVMD Bylaws, Article X, Section 5 and Section 6.)
Each LL and MAL unit president has a formal responsibility to send a letter from the LL or MAL unit, or take whatever other official action is requested, in response to every League Action Alert. The LWVMD may also request that LLs and MAL units ask their members to contact state officials and speak as individual citizens, but not as League members, on issues of concern to the LWVMD.
2. The Basis for LWVMD Action. Action at the state level must be based on LWVMD or LWVUS positions and/or principles, or in some instances, on LL, MAL or ILO unit positions. If there is some question about whether or not a contemplated action is authorized under a LWVUS position, clearance and clarification will be sought from the LWVUS.
3. LWVMD Action approved by Initiation of Action at the state level by LLs, MAL units and ILOs. Before a LL, MAL unit or ILO initiates action at the state governmental level based on national, state, ILO, LL or MAL unit positions, the LL, MAL unit or ILO board must obtain LWVMD Board approval. In considering whether to grant permission, the following criteria will be applied:
If all the answers to these questions are negative, the Board will probably grant permission, particularly if the legislation is clearly local. If the issue or legislation applies across the state, the Board also may grant approval in some cases. In cases where time for approval is too short for board review, and if approval seems routine, the President may grant approval for LL, MAL or ILO action.
Guidelines for LLs, MAL units and ILOs for action at the state level on local positions are described in Section III.
4. Guidelines for taking action at the State Government Level based on Local Positions
If the Board grants permission to a LL, MAL unit or ILO to contact state government officials to promote a LL or MAL unit position:
The LWVMD will maintain an action email list that will consist of members of local leagues, and others who choose to subscribe, that do not opt out of list membership where local and national Action Alerts and general noticies will be distributed on a timely basis for Action participation.
B. Action at the Federal Government Level
1. In response to Action Alerts issued by LWVUS
The LWVMD has the primary responsibility for contacting U.S. Senators and members of the House of Representatives from Maryland. LLs and MAL units should also contact the Maryland’s U.S. Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representative in response to LWVUS Action Alerts whenever possible.
LLs and MAL units must communicate to their non-email members LWVUS Action Alerts to contact their congressmen (both senators and the representatives) from their districts. The members should act as individuals and not in the name of the League.
2. Action Alerts on federal government level Initiated by the LWVMD, LLs or MAL units. With LWVUS approval, the League, LLs and MAL units may contact federal officials about proposed federal legislation that directly affects the State or a local area.
C. Public Responsibility Action and Advocacy, if no position:
LWVMD, LL, MAL unit and ILO leaders, (officers, board members or off-board directors) may not advocate in opposition to a LWVUS or LWVMD position. If the LWVUS or LWVMD has no position on the issue, they may testify as individuals.
A LWVMD spokesperson can speak if not a recognized spokesperson both for the LWVMD and another organization as long as they speak to the LWV positions and the positions of the 2 organizations are compatible..
II. PROCEDURES
Each year the Board canvasses LLs, MALs and MAL units for suggestions on legislative priorities for the next General Assembly session. The Board selects the priority issues based on input from the LLs, MAL units and state Board members. The priorities establish the framework for LWVMD action on legislation.
LWVMD’s formal Action Alerts or Calls to Action to LLs and MAL units generally pertain to proposed legislation related to the adopted priority issues but they include issues that arise during the legislative session or in the interim.
B. Contacting Legislators.
LLs, MALs and MAL units establish a procedure for contacting their members of the General Assembly when requested to do so by the LWVMD. The members of the networks are prepared to respond as quickly as possible by contacting their legislators. The members lobby their legislators as individuals.
LLs and LWVMD leaders should send copies of their letters to members of the U.S. Congress to the LWVMD President and the LWVUS Legislative Action Department. LL and LWVMD leaders should send copies of letters to state government officials to the LWVMD President or to the Legislative Action Coordinator.